I Can't, I Won't
by Hiding in the Shadow
Summary: Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they will
1. Back Again

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

Thank you to everyone who reviewed the final chapter of Life's Full of Little Surprises. I am glad that so many people enjoyed that story so much and I hope that this one is a great follow up to it. Please tell me what you think and be honest. Thanks! I love you all!

-(-)-

-Bangor, Maine-

18 year old Julie Gaffney quickly packed as many clothes as she could. In just a month she was suppose to be going to UCLA for college with her boyfriend of two years, Dean Portman. However, Julie changed her mind when, yet again, her bitchy stepmother had started yelling at her about her life choices. Marianne had said that Julie needed to stay in Maine and stay away from 'that terrible excuse for a boy' who was 'going to ruin her life'. Who the hell did Marianne think she was? She didn't know Dean. Given her predicament, Julie decided to go to Chicago to see her Grams and visit the Portman's before she went to California. She loved that family more then anything. When she and Dean first started dating, they welcomed her with open arms.

Pulling out her cellphone, Julie dialed her Grandfather's number, "George Gaffney."

"Grandpa, I have a favor to ask." Julie said, her voice breaking.

"Julie?" George asked, "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"Nothing, Grandpa." Julie replied, looking at her bruising eye in the mirror. Marianne had never hit her before, but Julie's constant backtalk must have made her snap, "I can't stay in Maine any longer, so I'm going to Chicago. Can you please send all of my things to California in about a month?"

George sighed, knowing that something must be wrong. He also knew that if he asked, she would deny it, "Julie, I'll bring it there myself."

"Thanks Grandpa." Julie replied, "Sniffing. I'll see you then."

"Goodbye, Julie." George said, "Say hello to Catherine, your sister, and your mother for me. And don't forget to remind Dean that as long as he his dating my granddaughter he is not allowed to do a strip tease anywhere."

"I will Grandpa." Julie said, chuckling, "Bye."

"Goodbye, Julie." George replied.

The both hung up and Julie looked at her eye. Dean, his entire family, and hers were going to ask about what happened. She wasn't sure that she really was going to want to answer them. Sighing, Julie pulled her suitcase off of the floor. When she looked up, Julie jumped, "Oh, God."

"Julie." Kermit said, "I never expected my mom to do something like this."

"Of course you didn't." Julie replied, "She's never done anything like this before."

Kermit sighed, "Do you want me to take you to the airport?"

"Sure, but my flight doesn't leave until late." Julie replied, "But, then again, you _do_ have to take me to Regan's before I can leave." Kermit raised his eyebrows, "Jonah has to give me my tattoo." Kermit's jaw dropped, "What?"

"You're getting a tattoo."

"Um-hum." Julie replied, "A Sphinx. You get it, right? 'Cat-lady', Sphinx." Kermit nodded, "Regan didn't tell you?"

"No."

"Oh." Julie replied, "Okay. Well, lets go."

Kermit sighed, "You're going to get me killed one of these days, Julie." Julie chuckled as Kermit picked up her suitcase, "How are you getting all of your other things to California?"

"Grandpa."

"Oh." Kermit replied, "Is he going or just sending everything?"

"He's going." Julie replied.

"Then I'm going to go with him." Kermit said, "Come on, we need to get you out of here before Mom or Richard decide that you can't leave. Even though I know that neither of them know that you are going."

"You're damn right." Julie replied.

-(-)-

-Edina, Minnesota-

It was almost over. No more Ducks. In about a month, every Duck was going to a different part of the country and they might not see each other again for a really long time, if ever. Then what would become of them? Adam Banks sat on his bed, looking at a scrapbook of his years as a Duck that he started making when he joined the Ducks. Even he was amazed at how much had changed. They had lost players and gained players and been the worst and the best. However, one thing remained the same. They always ended up back together. This time, on the other hand, was going to be the exception. At least, that's what it felt like.

Adam flipped the page and looked at the last picture. It was of the Ducks holding their third straight state championship trophy. That picture had only been taken in March, but it felt like a lifetime ago. Looking over the faces, Adam sighed. Julie and Dean were going to UCLA and Kenny and Russ were headed to UC Berkeley. Fulton had done a complete 180 and confused everyone when he applied to Columbia University and he had gotten in! Even though he hadn't known it at the time, Tammy had applied to The Fashion Institute of Technology and she was accepted there; the two of them were going to be in New York together. Goldberg, Dwayne, and Luis were all going back to their roots; Goldberg at Penn State University, Dwayne at Texas A&M University, and Luis at (where else?) the University of Miami. Guy and Connie were both accepted to Union College, and given that they couldn't bear to part, they were both going there. Averman, surprisingly the only Duck to stay in Minnesota, was going to the University of Minnesota. As for himself and Charlie, they were going to Boston College with Jesse. Charlie and Jesse had always planned to stay in Minnesota, but that had changed.

"Adam!" A voice called through his bedroom door.

"What?" Adam called back.

"Can we come in?"

Adam sighed and put the scrapbook away, "Sure, Monica." He replied.

Monica walked in followed by Ana and Becky. Adam knew that he would never cease to be amazed by Becky. After years of being told that she would never walk again, she proved all of the doctors wrong and told them, "Doctor's don't know anything." Well, she hadn't said it to their faces, but they got the idea. Everyone knew that that attitude must have come from a certain Chicago born Figure Skating Olympic Gold Medalist that they all knew and loved. Now, Becky was walking as if she had never been in an accident.

"Hi, Adam."

"Hi. Monica." Adam replied, raising his eyebrows, "What do you want?"

"What do you mean?"

"Monica Edith..."

Monica sighed at the usage of her middle name, "Fine, fine. Becky brought a DVD of pictures from her uncle's wedding and we were hoping that we could get you to help us find a way to watch it on the T.V. downstairs. Please?"

Adam sighed, "Fine." He stood from his bed, but was knocked backwards and almost on the bed as three bodies collided with his, "Okay, let me go, now." The three 12-year-olds obediently obeyed and ran down the stairs into the living room, "Oh Boy." He mumbled as he walked out of his room and down the stairs into the living room, "Hi, Mom, Dad, Coach." Adam said as he entered the living room.

"Hi, Adam." The three replied as Adam took the DVD from his sister and started fiddling with the DVD player.

As Adam worked on helping his sister, he could hear sniffling in the background, "Mom, please don't start that again."

Corrine sighed, "Well, what else do you expect me to do? You're my youngest son and you're going so far away." Corrine started sobbing almost uncontrollably. Adam really wished she wouldn't, particularly because his coach was in the room. Not only that, but Monica was trying, rather unsuccessfully, to stop herself from laughing.

"Oh, be quiet, squirt." Adam said, "She's going to do the same thing with you some day." Monica got quiet and scowled, "Here we are."

"Thanks, Adam." Monica said, "Want to watch with us?"

Adam shrugged, he didn't really have anything better to do. But, even though that was the case, why did she want him to look at pictures of Becky's uncle's wedding? "Sure, why not."

"Cool." Monica replied. Across the room, Philip Banks shuttered and both of his children could practically feel it, "What is wrong with the word 'cool'?" Monica asked, "It's an adjective."

"Monica Edith." Philip warned.

Sighing, Monica looked over to her brother, "Okay, press play." Adam raised his eyebrows, but did so anyways.

Becky looked behind her, directly at her dad, "Daddy, I know that you are going to bring this up, so I'm reminding you. By order of the maiden of honor, you aren't allowed to bring up Uncle Eric's and Joey's age difference."

Ted chuckled uncomfortably, "How could I forget, Rebekah? I was scolded by a 17-year-old in front of about 150 people."

"She wasn't scolding you, Daddy." Becky replied, "If anything, it was suppose to embarrass Uncle Eric a little, not you. She was just talking about how stubborn Uncle Eric and Joey were. So relax a little." Ted rolled his eyes and shook his head, "Oh, this one's my favorite." She said, staring at the picture on the screen. There were four women on four steps. On the bottom was none other then Tammy, one step above her was Gia Le Bon, above her was a very pretty brunette who was obviously very tall, and on top was Joey.

"Who's the young lady on the third step?" Philip asked.

Becky, Monica, and Ana raised their eyebrows and turned around to stare at Philip as if he was crazy; although, Adam wanted to ask the same question, "That's Dani, daddy. She was the maiden of honor." Monica replied, "Please don't tell me that you forgot about Dani."

Philip gulped, "Of course I didn't." He said, "But she looks so tall."

Becky chuckled, "She is. She grew a lot. I think she said that she was 6 feet even... Yeah, that was it. Dani said that she had a inhuman growth spurt, or something along those lines. She's very candid about her height nowadays." Adam stared at the picture. Now that he looked at it, he couldn't believe that he didn't know Dani when he saw her. She was still as beautiful as ever and she had the same mischievous spark in her eye that Adam was pretty sure was a Portman family trait.

Over the past two years, it seemed to Adam that his social role and Dean's had flopped. Dean had become the epitome of a perfect boyfriend. He was sweet, caring, brought Julie random gifts for no real reason, rubbed her shoulders when she was stressed, never touched another girl in any inappropriate way, and he was chivalrous to no end. Adam, however, knew that he became a playboy. He didn't date any one girl for longer then two months, he flopped to different girls quite often, and he never really had any physical attraction or any attraction of any kind to the girls that he dated, they were for one thing only... To help him forget about Dani. All of the girls that he had dated were spoiled, rich, fake in almost every sense of the word, insincere, dull, and practically brain dead. He wanted to date he exact opposite of Dani to make him forget about her, but it didn't really help, it just made him miss her and love ever aspect of her even more then he did. Adam knew that it was wrong, but he could help it.

Sighing, Adam stood up and threw the remote on the couch, "I'm going to see Annette." With that, he hastily made his way out of the house.

"I take it Dani is still a touchy subject with him." Ana said.

"Yup." Monica replied, "He's still reeling from being dumped. He's so stupid!"

"Monica!" Philip and Corrine warned.

Monica sighed, "He should have hopped on a train to Chicago right after she left and begged her to talk to him. He should have asked her what he did wrong to make her dump him and then he should have begged her forgiveness. It'd be better then it is now. What's with his weekly Annette's?" Monica looked around the room for an answer and was quite pleasantly surprised when neither of her parents had one for her. Both of them had loved Dani and what she had done for their son. The only answer they could think of to Monica's question was one that they weren't going to tell her.

* * *

Adam sat outside of the house that was owned by his girlfriend of two months, Annette Pryce. She the same kind of girl that he had dated for the past to years, but worse. Her parents were good people who tried raise her right, but she didn't agree with that plan so she got emancipated when she was 16. Sighing, Adam got out of his car and knocked on the door, "Annette?" He called. Knocking, Adam found it odd that he didn't get an answer, "That's weird." Adam mumbled to himself. 

Sighing, Adam twisted the knob to see if it was unlocked. Surprisingly, it was. Annette never left the door unlocked unless she was home. Raising his eyebrows, Adam walked in and closed the door behind him. Everything seemed in order and there wasn't any sign that someone had broken in, "Annette?" Adam asked again. Checking the whole bottom floor, Adam didn't find her, so he made his way upstairs.

The first room that he came to was Annette's bedroom. When he got there, Adam heard moaning and was taken aback, but tried not to jump to conclusions. Holding his breath, Adam gripped the knob, turned it, and threw it open. He hadn't meant to, but that's the way that it ended up happening. Looking in the room, Adam shook his head and chuckled, "Adam." Annette said, holding her blankets over her chest.

"Annette." Adam replied calmly, "McGill." He could tell that the calmness that he was exuding was probably more scary to Annette and McGill then if he would have screamed and broken something, "Why am I not surprised? Oh well, I was planning on doing this some time closer to when I left, but Annette, we're over."

Annette gaped and pulled her blanket full off the bed as she stomped over to him while McGill covered himself with the sheet, "You can't do that." Annette said, "I am always the dumper, not the dumped."

"There's a first time for everything, babe." Adam replied, causing Annette to gape even more, "I heard from a friend he had nothing." He shot at McGill, "Don't worry, I won't let the door hit me on the way out."

-(-)-

-Chicago, Illinois-

Like any other self respecting and sane person at 3:45 in the morning, Dani Portman was asleep, rolling over as the clock switched to 3:46. After a few moments, Dani shot up when her cellphone woke her from her sleep, "What in the world?" She asked herself as she laid back down and reached for her phone. Opening it, Dani put it to her ear, "Who in the world are you? It's 3:45 in the morning."

"Dani."

Dani yawned, "Julie?" She asked, "What the hell?"

"I have a favor to ask of you." Julie replied.

"Julie, it's 3:45 in the morning. I am exhausted." Dani said, "What is so important that you couldn't wait until later?"

Julie sighed, "Dani, I'm at O'Hare right now and I was kind of hoping that you could pick me up. My Grams is in Edina visiting my mom, Piper, and Adriaan. They're coming back here in a few days, but I don't really want to wait here at O'Hare or call a cab. I hate cabs."

Dani rolled her eyes, "Why didn't you call Dean? Or my parents?"

"I want it to be a surprise." Julie replied candidly.

Yawning again, Dani said, "Fine, I will be at O'Hare in a few minutes. Be waiting outside for me. Remember that if you were not dating my brother and if I did not love, I would kill you."

"I know." Julie replied.

"I'll see you in a few." Dani said as she hung up her phone, "Ay-yi-yi." Dani mumbled as she got out of bed and rummaged through her dresser. She pulled out a pair of loose plaid pants and pulled them over her silky short pajama shorts, but didn't bother to cover her silky pajama camisole. After dressing, Dani reached into her bedside table and pulled out her keys and her wallet. She picked up her cellphone again and started out the door.

When Dani got to her car, she shook her head, "Oh, Julie, why must you do this to me?" She yawned again and turned on the car, "I hope mom and dad don't see this and get the wrong idea." Dani couldn't help but say. For the past four months she had been dating a man named Dave and none of her family approved of him. But then again, what else was new?

As Dani drove along, she thought. Julie was suppose to meet Dean in about a month before they went to UCLA together, so what was she doing in Chicago so much earlier? Did she get into a fight with her stepmother? That seemed like the only logical explanation. When she arrived at O'Hare, Dani immediately saw Julie and drove over to her, "Hi, Dani!" Julie said as Dani stepped out.

"What the hell happened to you?" Dani asked, studying Julie's blackened eye.

"It's nothing." Julie lied as the placed her bags in Dani's trunk, "I just got into a little scuffle."

"Little scuffle?" Dani asked, "With what? A pro-wrestler?"

Julie shook her head, "It's not a big deal." Dani rolled her eyes, she knew that there was more to the story that, "But I want to show you something." She pulled up her shirt so that Dani could see her shoulder blade.

"What happened there?" Dani asked looking at what looked like padding or a very large band-aid or something.

"Peel it back a little." Julie replied.

"Okay." Dani said as she did so, "Holy shit! That's awesome."

"Isn't it?" Julie asked, "You remember that I told you about Kermit, right?" Dani nodded, "And his girlfriend, Regan?" Dani nodded again, "Well, Regan has a cousin named Jonah and he had been very accomplished at tattooing since he was 16, I think. So I wanted to get one and I went to him."

Dani chuckled, "A Sphinx. I get it. Cat-lady, a cat body with a women's head. I get it."

"You got it quicker then Kermit." Julie joked, "Now let's go to your place and get to sleep."

"Thank God." Dani said as they two got into the car. As soon as Julie closed the door and buckled herself in, Dani started off. She really wanted to get home and to sleep. The two drove in silence, Julie sifting around several times because the tattoo was getting a little bit painful, "Hurts doesn't it?"

"Yeah." Julie replied.

Dani chuckled, "You should have seen Dean after he got his. He was reduced to being a little girl for the first couple of days if you touched it."

"Dean has a tattoo?"

Dani nodded, "He does." She said, "Finally."

"Now he doesn't have to use a sharpie." Julie joked.

"This would be correct." Dani said as the two pulled into the driveway. What they didn't know was that Caleb was looking out of his bedroom window when Dani got out and his mind jumped to conclusions. He closed his curtains before he could see Julie get out with her. Someone was in trouble.


	2. Trust

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

**SilverConlon-** Thank you so much! You looked practically every day? Really? That's very encouraging. I hope that you like this story as much as you did the last one and if I am disappointing (which I hope I won't be!) then I would like to know. Honesty is the best policy, even if it is a pain in the behind sometimes.

**AznIntegra-** Yes, the sequel has emerged! Dani did grow taller... I'm not sure why I made her tall, but I just wanted to. If Monica found out that Adam was just using his Annette-like girlfriends as a way to try and forget Dani, then, yeah, she wouldn't be too pleased. When am I getting Adam and Dani back together? I can't say... That would ruin the surprise and I like surprises. I hope you do, too. I hope that you aren't literally dying because they aren't together. That would be bad... Thank you for reviewing!

**hiddendreams and untoldsecrets-** Thanks! I am glad that you liked Life's Full of Little Surprises and I hope that this is becomes and acceptable sequel. Dani's character is a mix of my sister (mostly), myself, and another person that I know... But mostly my sister so I am happy that you like her. More will happen with Adam and Dani in this, so hopefully it will make up for parts of Dani and Adam that you didn't get in the other story. There will be some Julie and Dean and a little bit of some other relationships that I hope will be enjoyed by all... Or at least some. Happy belated birthday!

Thank you so much to RIP MuM I Love You, mickEmousina, TheHollister, and mdgirl18! Your reviews are appreciated and they keep me going!

-(-)-

-Minneapolis, Minnesota-

Charlie Conway slept soundly in the apartment that he shared with his mother and 2 year old sister. It wasn't too late, only 9:35 in the morning, and nothing could wake Charlie up until at least 12:00..., "Charlie!" Other then an excitable 8 year old named Julian screaming his name and jumping on his stomach.

"Um..." Charlie groaned, "Julian, get off of me."

"No, no, no!" Julian said excitedly, "You have to wake up."

"It's too early."

"No it's not." Julian replied, "It's 9:40."

"In the morning?"

"Uh-huh."

"Go away." Charlie said bluntly. He could practically feel the pout that the young boy was plastering on his face. Sighing, Charlie looked up and sighed, "Okay, I'm up." The pout immediately turned into a smile as the young boy jumped up, allowing Charlie to get out of his bed, "Where are Myrka and your dad?"

"Living room, I think." Julian said.

"Remind me to take away the key that my mom gave your dad." Charlie mumbled.

"Nuh-huh." Julian replied, "There won't be any need."

"Why not?" Charlie asked suspiciously.

"You'll find out." Julian said as he exited Charlie's room. An immensely confused Charlie followed the young boy out of his room. Julian obviously knew something that Charlie didn't.

Charlie smiled when he entered the living room and saw where Julie had bounded off to so quickly. Myrka was sitting on the couch with Avalon on her knee, bouncing her up and down. Julian walked over to them and kissed Avalon on the cheek, sitting down and handing Avalon her favorite stuffed bear; a bear that had been given to her by Julian and Myrka's grandmother, Anne. Charlie heard something fall in the kitchen and looked over, rather amused, "Having some trouble?"

"No." Gordon Bombay replied as he left the kitchen, straightening his jacket collar.

"Who's destroying my house?" A voice called from the bathroom. Charlie chuckled. Gordon and his mother had been dating for a little less then two years. Once Julian's and Myrka's adoptions were set in stone and they were allowed to move, Gordon had asked his children if they minded moving to Minnesota. He wanted to because he wanted them to be close to his mother... Among other things. They had agreed because they liked Minnesota and Myrka knew that she had to get her dad together with Casey or she was going to lose what little of her sanity she had left. Once the move was finished, Charlie had been recruited by Myrka to help play matchmaker... And it worked! It didn't surprise Charlie at how well their two little families melded together. He liked Julian and Myrka a lot and Avalon didn't know anything other then them being around, while his mother started mothering them the moment she saw that they had moved.

"Mommy!" Avalon called out as she tried to wiggle away from Myrka's grasp. Casey came into the room dressed and ready for a day out with the three younger children in the house. Myrka let Avalon go and the tiny, red haired girl tottered over to her mother, who picked her up.

Gordon and Casey crossed to each other and kissed. The kiss lingered longer then both of them had expected. Long enough for Charlie to roll his eyes and say, "Oh, get a room."

"You've wanted to say that since you were 12 years old." Myrka mumbled as Charlie crossed the room. Once he was next to her, Charlie smacked Myrka in the back of the head, causing Myrka to elbow him in the stomach.

Casey and Gordon sighed, "Be civil." Casey said.

The kids chuckled and shook their heads, but Gordon broke up the moment by looking at his watch, "Oh, brilliant. I'm going to be late if I don't leave now." Sighing, Gordon kissed Casey once more, "Thank you for watching Myrka and Julian. I don't think that my mom could have handled it."

"You don't give her enough credit." Casey replied, "She raised four children spanning the ages of 15 and 6 after your dad died." Gordon nodded, "But it's no trouble."

"Thank you again." He said, turned to his kids and kissing them, "Be good, don't break anything." Myrka sighed and shook her head and Julian just pouted innocently. Avalon stumbled up to him, wanting her kiss. Gordon smiled and scooped the little girl up, kissing her no the cheek and handing her to Charlie, "I will be back in a week." He said to everyone, walking over to the door. As he opened it, he turned to Casey, "You can give me your answer when I get back."

"What answer?" Casey asked, stunned.

Gordon smiled and held up his hand. Casey looked down at hers, confused, and almost stopped breathing. Charlie stared as Gordon smiled and left. Myrka and Julian smiled at the looks on everyone's faces, "You knew about this." He accused.

Myrka and Julian looked to each other and smiled, "Yup!" They replied, looking back to Charlie.

"It's about time..." Charlie mumbled, his crooked smile gracing his face.

-(-)-

-Chicago, Illinois-

Dani sat at a table outside her favorite restaurant, almost falling asleep in her ice cream, while Julie chatted happily with Leah, Eve, and Doe, "Dan? You with us?" Leah, who had abandoned her blue/black hair and returned to her original golden blonde, asked, snapping her fingers in front of Dani's face.

"No." Dani replied bluntly and tiredly.

"I'm sorry." Julie apologized, "I could only get a red eye. And, to be honest, I didn't care when I had to leave, I just had to get out of Maine at the earliest opportunity. I love you..."

"You'd better." Dani replied, "But off that subject, when are you telling my dear brother that you are in town?"

Julie sighed, "Later... I want to surprise him."

"Wear sexy lingerie and show up in his bedroom." Doe suggested, "I know that he'd enjoy that..."

"Of course he would, Doe." Eve said, "But that doesn't mean that she's going to..."

"Oliver." Doe replied, "I told you guys that I want to be called Oliver from now on." Leah, Eve, and Doe shook their heads, "What?" He asked, "It's my name."

"Doe... Oliver..." Dani said, "You've hated your name for as long as we've known you. What is with this Oliver kick all of the sudden?"

Doe sighed, "Well, I'm going to college. I'm going to be a Yalie, I want to sound intelligent and don't you think that Doe is a bit dated? I mean, you've been calling me that since we were 5."

Eve shook her head, "Doe... I mean, Oliver... You may be going to Yale, but you're always going to be Doe to us. I moved here when I was 12 and you were the first person to talk to me. You introduced yourself as Doe and that is what you will always be to me."

Doe sighed, they obviously didn't get the point, "You know what?" Leah said, "We won't call you Doe anymore." Dani and Eve raised their eyebrows, "From now on we will call you... Ollie Hor!"

"Don't you dare!" Doe yelped out indignantly, "Leah!"

"Ollie Hor?" Julie asked.

"His middle name is Horace." Dani explained, "He hates it."

"You're damn right!" Doe sighed, "It's so... old and dry and not me."

"We know _Oliver_." Dani sighed.

Julie chuckled. She loved Dani's friends, they were three of the strangest people that anyone would ever meet, "So. Oliver is going to Yale. What about the rest of you?"

Eve smiled, "Well, I'm going to The Rochester Institute of Technology. It has an absolutely wonderful Photojournalism program and that is what I want."

"Cool." Julie replied, "I plan to see your name in a newspaper or magazine in about 4 years." Eve chuckled and smiled sheepishly. Her father was never really a fan of the fact that she wanted to do something other then take over the family business.

"Dani and I are going to Boston." Leah said, "Boston College to be more precise."

"Really?" Julie asked. Boston College? That was were Adam, Charlie, and Jesse were going. This shocked Julie because she couldn't imagine the tension that would build if Adam and Dani were in the same school. They had been through so much together and it was shocking to everyone that Dani had broken up with him. Julie was sure that Dean had failed to mention where Adam was going to college. She couldn't see him telling Dani or else she would have probably rethought her schooling choices.

"Yup." Dani replied, "And if Leah starts squealing for no reason while you are here, it's because of Boston."

"Or rather..." Doe added.

"Who's in Boston." Eve finished. Julie took a second to catch up. She had never really gotten use to the group in front of her finishing each other's sentences, but she didn't feel that bad because she doubted that anyone ever really got use to it.

"Meaning?" Julie asked.

Eve, Doe, and Dani smiled to each other, "Gunnar got drafted by the Bruins." Dani said.

"Really?" Julie asked.

"Uh-huh." Leah replied excitedly.

"So, you two are still together?"

"Uh-huh!" Leah said, sipping an iced tea.

"Are you going to say anything else?"

"Nuh-huh."

"But that was something else." Julie said.

Dani sighed, "Don't worry about her. She's just daydreaming a little. She's misses him a lot." Leah pouted and nodded, "I still have yet to figure out how in the world they got together." Dani said, "I mean, I needed to give my statement to the police because I was attacked by a psycho and I wanted a little privacy so I sort of sent them away and when I was finished, they came back and had a date set up."

"What can I say?" Leah asked, "I'm strange."

"Yeah, I kind of noticed." Dani said.

"But that's not the only reason I want to be in Boston." Leah said, "I didn't even know that Gunnar was going to be drafted when I applied. You know that I was born in Boston. My parents are still there."

"I never understood why you didn't live with them." Julie said, "But you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Leah shook her head, "It's okay." She said, "I mean, I moved in with Phyllis when I was 5. She was actually the reason I moved here." Julie furrowed her eyebrows, "When I was 4 she got into a legal battle with my parents for me just because she wanted to spite them. My uncle, my mom's brother, had married her his second time around and when he died everything that my parents would have given him if something had happened was transferred to her, including custody of me. Phyllis hated my parents and she when found out that my mom is a Paranoid Schizophrenic and my dad is Manic Depressant she used that to her advantage." Julie's jaw dropped, "I know. She got custody of me and brought me out here. The only good thing that happened was meeting Dani. After that I met Doe, then Eve, and then, or course, Gunnar. So a little came out of it."

"At least you get to see your parents." Doe replied, "Do you think that they are homophobic?"

"No at a chance." Leah said, "I know for a fact that mom and dad were introduced by a gay friend of theirs named Alonzo."

"Oh, good." Doe replied.

"Well, now that that's taken care of, who wants to get out of here?" Eve asked, "Once Dean finds out that Julie is in town, we will never get a hold of her, so we have to do as many things together before we let her go." Everyone agreed and left the restaurant.

They walked around for a while and chatted, soon making their way to The Rink. Dani knew that her mother would be at work and she wanted her to see Julie, but she stopped as they stood next to the alley that separated The Rink and the small deli next door, "Wait." Dani said.

"What?" The others asked.

Sighing, Dani replied, "Dean, Keoni, and a couple of the other guys are back there." She said, "We still want to be able to see Julie, right?" Eve, Leah, and Doe nodded, "Well, let's just wait and see what they say."

"Eavesdropping?" Julie asked, "I love it."

They all gathered at the corner and waited until the boys started talking... It didn't take long, "Portman?"

"What Carlyle?" Dean asked Barret Carlyle, a somewhat friend of his.

Barret chuckled, "What's Julie like?"

Dean raised his eyebrows, "What the hell are you talking about, Carlyle? You know what Julie's like, you've met her." He said, taking a drink of water.

"That's not what I meant." Barret replied, raising one eyebrow expectantly.

Dean promptly choked on his water while Julie felt her jaw drop, "What the hell?" Dean asked, "Even _if _I knew, why the fuck would I tell you?"

"Wait a minute." Barret said, "You and Julie have been dating for almost two full years and you haven't hit the sheets yet? Why not?"

"I should just beat you to death right now." Dean said.

"Or I could. Who the fuck asks someone something like that?" Julie mumbled.

"Calm yourself." Dani mumbled back to her.

"Excuse me." Julie replied, turning around and stalking off.

"Where is she going?" Leah asked.

"Probably back to my place." Dani said, "We should give her a little time to cool off. Carlyle pisses everyone off and no one likes a pissed off Julie. It's scary and hazardous to your health." The others agreed and decided that it would be better to go inside the front way or they would have to kill someone, namely Barret Carlyle.

**-Later that Day-**

Dean sighed as he entered his house. He couldn't believe that Barret Carlyle had asked him if Julie was a good lay... She was his girlfriend for crying out loud! No one is suppose to ask about a person's sex life, it's rude and sometimes disgusting. And Carlyle wondered why he didn't get any girls! They all knew that if they got with him, he would go into excruciating detail about what happened! As he crossed into the kitchen, he saw his mother and father talking with Caleb, "Hello, family."

"Hi Dean." Alyssa replied, "What is it you wanted to tell us, Caleb?"

Caleb sighed, knowing that Dani was going to kill him for what he was about to say, "Well, I woke up around 4 this morning and I saw lights outside and when I looked out, Dani was getting out of her car."

"What?" Dean asked, "Why was she out?"

"I don't know." Caleb replied.

Kal and Alyssa sighed, sure that it had something to do with Dani's new boyfriend, "I swear to God, if it has anything to do with Dave..." Kal started.

"I am right there with you Dad." Dean said, "But now, I'm going up to my room. I'll see you guys at dinner." The others waved him off as he made his way out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Once he got to his room, he entered, not bothering to turn on the lights. He flopped on his bed and pulled his iPod out of his beside table and placed the earphones in his ears. Julie was watching him from the swivel chair that stood next to the desk on the other side of the room. She was facing the wall, but she could see him in the mirror next to the chair. He picked the song he wanted and turned over on the bed, his eyes closed. After a moment, he smiled and sighed, "Julie in a bikini."

Julie rolled her eyes and tried not to giggle. That was the man that she loved and she wasn't afraid to admit it. Standing from the chair, she silently walked up to the bed and kissed his cheek. He smiled, thinking that he was imagining Julie, as she kissed him again. He still thought that he had imagined her, so Julie took more drastic measures. She pulled out one of his earphones and flopped on him, "Afternoon, stud." She said.

Dean chuckled, "Julie?" He asked, "You're not a dream?"

"The best one you'll ever have." She replied, "But at the moment, I'm in the flesh."

"And it's very nice flesh." Dean said as she leaned down and started kissing him. The longer they went on, the more passionate the kissing became. Dean ran his hands up her back and he gently pressed on her shoulder blade, causing her to pull back and cringe, "What did I do?" He asked, "What did I do?"

"Nothing." Julie replied.

"That's bullshit, Jules." Dean said, genuinely worried. He walked around and gently lifted up her shirt, "Wow!"

"Glad you approve." Julie said, "I got it yesterday and it hurts like hell. I'm sorry if I scared you."

"That's okay." Dean said, "Mine hurt like hell, too." He lifted up the sleeve of his shirt and let Julie admire the tattoo on his bicep. It was an elaborate scorpion that was in black and blue with a small touch of red on the stinger. It almost looked lifelike when he contracted and relaxed his muscle.

"Cool." Julie said, "I think that's kind of hot..."

"Really?" Dean asked, "Well then..." Julie chuckled as he leaned over and began kissing her again. Julie fully complied and was slightly upset when he pulled back, "I'm glad you're here, Jules." He said, but he furrowed his eyebrows.

"What?" Julie asked.

Dean leaned over and turned on the light, his eyes intently staring as Julie, "Oh god." He said once the light was turned on, "I thought that that was a shadow, not a bruise. What the hell happened?"

"It's nothing." Julie lied.

"Baby..."

"Dean, please!" Julie sighed, agitated, "Not now." Dean sighed and leaned over, kissing her gently on the cheek, "Are your parents home?"

"Yeah, they're downstairs."

"Then lets go see them." She said, standing. Dean nodded and stood, taking her hand and kissing it.

"I love you." He said.

"I love you, too." Julie replied as they both left the room. The walked down the stairs and could hear Dani's voice both very upset and very pissed off.

"What happened to when you trusted me?" She asked, "When did that stop because I would love to have it back."

"It's not that we don't trust you, Dani." Alyssa replied, "We don't trust Dave."

"That's right." Kal added, "I honestly have tried, but there is something that he his hiding. And when you start coming home at 4 in the morning, then we have to start worrying."

"I was home at 11 like I told you I would be." Dani said, her voice getting angrier by the minute, "I got a call and I had to go out for a few minutes, but I came right back home." Dean could hear the tears in her voice and he felt Julie stiffen, that must have been when she got into town.

"Did Dave call you?" Kal asked.

"No." Dani snapped, "It wasn't him."

"Then who was it?" Alyssa asked.

"Hi all!" Julie said, rushing into the kitchen.

Dani sighed, "Take a wild guess." She said, "And by the way, Caleb should be minding his own fucking business."

"Danielle!" Kal and Alyssa replied, shocked. Dani just sighed heavily and ran out of the house at top speed. She needed to get away and _not _to Dave, he wouldn't help the problem, only make it worse.

-(-)-

-St. Paul, Minnesota-

Casey had taken Myrka and Julian to her favorite ice cream place and she smiled as they contently gobbled down their treats. Once they had finished, Casey carried a sleeping Avalon back to her car, "Thanks for the ice cream." Julian said.

"You still have a little left." Casey replied, chuckling, as she pointed at the sides of her mouth. Julian quickly understood what she meant and licked the sides of his lips clean.

"That was the best ice cream that I think I have ever had." Myrka said, sighing, "Thank you, Casey."

"It was no problem." Casey replied, "After helping your father plan that unorthodox proposal that I couldn't possibly have said no to, I think you deserved it."

Myrka chuckled, "You wouldn't have been able to say no to any way that he proposed to you." Casey raised her eyebrows, "It's just a personal observation. I don't mean to disrespect anyone. Personal observation."

"I know you don't sweetie." Casey replied, "You're 15, say no more."

Myrka giggled, "Casey, can I show you something?"

"Of course."

Sighing, Myrka dug in her pocket and pulled out her wallet. Casey watched as she looked through it and pulled out a picture. She handed it to Casey, "That's mama." She said quietly, as if not to offend Casey.

"She was very lovely." Casey replied, hoping that she didn't sound insensitive. The women in the picture was very beautiful. Her brown skin was smooth and glowing and her eyes sparkled. Myrka was in her arms and kissing her large stomach, she was pregnant.

"I know." Myrka replied as she took back the picture, "She always said that everything happens for a reason." Casey nodded, not quite sure where this was going, "So I have a question."

"What's that?" Casey asked.

Myrka sighed, "When you and daddy get married... Can we call you mom?"

Casey gaped, caught completely off guard. Julian stood next to his sister, shaking his head as if to say that he was asking the same question. Casey smiled, "Of course you can." Myrka and Julian smiled and Casey leaned over and hugged them. They hugged her back and she kissed their foreheads. The kids smiled and Casey said, "We'd better get going. Charlie is going to think that we skipped out on him."

"We wouldn't want to do that." Julian said while Myrka shook her head.

"No we wouldn't." Casey replied, hugging them one more time and herding them into her car, "We wouldn't want to do that at all."


	3. Called On

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

**AznIntegra-** Thank you! Yes, Dani and Adam are going to be very surprised when they see each other at college. That's part of Dean's plan, which will be explained soon enough. Their reactions to each other are going to be typical with something shocking tucked in there... Maybe... I'm not sure yet. But whatever happens, it should be entertaining. Now that Dean knows that Julie is in Chicago, he's going to be his own sweet self with dashes of Bash Brother. You're right, he is going to be pissed when he finds out what Marianne did to Julie. He loves her and will do anything for her... So can you really blame him for wanting to protect the women that he loves? I think not!

**TheHollister-** ZOMG? I've never heard of that one before. I know what OMG is, but not ZOMG... I wonder what the Z stands for? Oh well, I'm glad that you like everything. Craziness is super fun to write. College should be coming around soon enough and I hope it lives up to your expectations. Thanks so much!

-(-)-

-Chicago, Illinois-

Caleb gulped silently as he walked up behind his older sister, who was leaning against the edge of the roof of The Rink, staring into the setting sun. It had been over 24 hours since Dani had gone off on their parents and he was hoping that she wouldn't do that to him, "Can I join you?" He asked.

"No." Dani replied, bitterly, "Go away."

"I'll take that as a yes." Caleb said, walking over to her, "How are you?"

"Shut up." Dani snapped.

"Dan." Caleb replied fearfully, "Please don't say that. I know that you're mad at me, but I thought that mom and dad should know that you were out at 4 in the morning. I mean, I didn't know what you were doing. If I knew that you had been picking up Julie, then I wouldn't have mentioned it…"

"Then why the hell didn't you ask me first?" She asked, "You should have asked _me _what I doing before going straight to mom and dad. I had nothing to hide and now you've caused mom and dad to not trust me. On top of that, they hated Dave enough as it is; now it's going to be impossible for them to accept him."

"You don't even like him." Caleb mumbled, "He's a pawn."

"What?" Dani asked.

"Nothing." Caleb replied quickly, "Julie asked me to tell you if I found you that she wanted to spend some girl time with you before she and Dean go out. They're going out in about an hour and a half, so I figured I should tell you ASAP."

"Sure." Dani said, "See you later." With that she raced off, leaving her little brother to feel really bad about himself. Caleb knew that Dani wasn't attracted to Dave, he was a convenience and something that would make her feel less lonely. Dave was the first person that Dani had dated after Adam and Caleb could tell that she still loved him to death and that he was her perfect man that no one would be able to match up with, she just didn't want to be alone.

As Caleb remained on the roof of The Rink, Dani ran quickly back home and found Julie in her room, pulling on a pair of form-fitting dark wash jeans and a baby blue tank top, "Hi Jules."

"Hi Dan." Julie replied, looking at herself in the mirror, "What do you think?"

"Very Julie." Dani replied, "You look great."

"Thanks." Julie said, "I have a question, though."

"I have an answer."

Julie chuckled and pointed in top of the bookshelf on the opposite wall of Dani's room, "Does that tiara mean that you were voted Prom Queen?" Dani sighed, but nodded, "I can honestly see that. You love almost everybody and they love you back. I'm guessing that Keoni won Prom King."

"That would be correct." Dani said, "He asked me a couple of weeks before hand because he knew that I didn't want to go but he also knew that I was nominated. I gave him hell the entire night before the winners were announced and then I had him take me home after we won."

"Why didn't you want to go?"

"Just didn't." Dani replied quickly. Julie raised her eyebrows but didn't press the matter. She could tell that it would just upset Dani and given that she was already angry with almost everybody Julie wasn't going to piss her off anymore.

"So." Julie said, trying to think of something to change the subject with, "Um…"

"Thanks for the sympathy subject change, Jules." Dani said, "I'm guessing Dean saw your bruise." Julie nodded, "Did you tell him what happened?"

"A few hours ago." Julie admitted.

"So, what happened?"

Julie sighed, "I got into an argument with Marianne and she got pissed and finally snapped. She punched me and I retaliated by slapping her out of her Manolo Blahinks. I tried to tell my dad what happened, but he yelled at me to not lie about Marianne because she was such a wonderful person."

"Are you freaking kidding me?" Dani asked.

Julie sighed, "That's what Dean said. He told me that he was going to get a plane ticket to Maine and rip my father a new one."

"Isn't he adorable when he gets protective?" Dani asked.

"As long as he doesn't do it all the time." Julie replied, "Marianne is good at playing the business man's wife. You know, the kind that stand around and smile at the parties and just nod instead of actually involving themselves in conversation." Dani nodded, "Kermit said that she did the same when she was with his father, Patrick."

"I swear, if anyone tried to make me do that, I would shoot them." Julie nodded as Dani checked her watch, "You and Dean have to go soon if you are going to get to dinner in time to go to a movie afterwards. Dean is taking you to a movie, right? That's what I remember." Julie smiled and nodded, "Thank God you and Dean figured it out. Piper and I were getting really frustrated with the two of you."

"Gee, thanks, Dan." Julie replied.

"No problem." Dani said, "But you'd better scoot. We wouldn't want Dean to wait long, would we?" Julie rolled her eyes, but turned nonetheless, "I'll see you when you get back and then we can continue on with this meaningless banter. Now, you must go make my brother all giggly and weird."

Julie chuckled, "Giggly and weird? Okay, then."

"What?" Dani asked, "He gets like that around you. It's the same reaction that he gives when someone mentions the word 'tapioca'."

"Tapioca?" Julie asked.

"Say it to Dean and see what happens."

"Yes, ma'am." Julie replied, saluting.

"Now, go." Dani said, causing Julie to salute again before she walked out of the room, leaving Dani alone, "What a strange life I live." She said to herself as she flopped on her bed and pulled open the top drawer in her bedside table. Carefully, Dani looked around in it and pulled out what she was looking for, a picture of herself and Adam standing in the large window of a very tall building, "Hi, Adam." She said, "Mom and Dad got mad at me because they thought I was with Dave at 4 in the morning. You wouldn't like him, but I don't know if that's a bad thing… Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. Anyway, I just wanted you to know that I will never forget you, even if I am with someone else, and I don't want to. You'll always be the first man I ever loved and I won't hide that." She leaned over and kissed the picture before placing it back in the bedside table.

"Dani! Dinner's ready!" Alyssa's voice called up the private staircase to Dani's room.

"Be right there." Dani called back, standing and looking over her shoulder at the bedside table one more time before she walked out and closed the door behind her.

-(-)-

-Minneapolis, Minnesota-

The sunset was beautiful and Charlie felt that it couldn't fit the past few days any better. He smiled as he stared into it and pulled the Coke bottle that he was drinking out of to his lips, "Charlie!" Two voices called, causing Charlie to turn.

"Hey Banksie, Jesse." Charlie replied.

"We went over to your place and your mom and Myrka said that you were out." Jesse said, "What are you doing?"

"Just thinking." Charlie replied.

"Why?" Adam asked.

Charlie chuckled; all of the Ducks were going to find out eventually, both his mother and Gordon were going to insist that all of them are there, "Bombay finally asked my mom to marry him."

Jesse and Adam looked at each other for a moment and smiled, "It's about time." Jesse said, Adam nodding in agreement, "I mean, how long have they danced around each other?"

"Ever since the D-5 Ducks." Adam answered, even though he knew that there wasn't any reason to answer.

"Ha." Charlie replied, jokingly, "You should have seen Anne, Deirdre, and Kennedy when they found out." He shook his head, "They flipped and Nick was almost as bad. They love us and have no problem showing it in extremely loud ways."

"Who's the oldest in that family?" Jesse asked, "I forgot."

"Same here." Adam added.

"Nick is the oldest, then it's Deirdre, then Coach, then Kennedy." Charlie replied.

"So now that they are getting married, is he going to be Coach, Gordon, or dad?" Adam asked.

"I don't know." Charlie said, "I know that Myrka and Julian have already taken to calling mom 'mom', but I don't know about what I'm going to call him. I'll worry about it later." Sighing, Charlie halfway changed the subject, "When they get everything situated, they'll send you an invitation. I know that it's going to be in the summer and outdoors because that's what mom always wanted, but never got."

"Cool." Jesse said, "Breathable fabric is a must." Adam and Charlie stared at him for a moment, "Sorry. My Aunt Dee came over a few days ago and I haven't gotten her fashion input out of my head yet."

"Okay…" Charlie and Adam replied.

"So, where's Terry?" Charlie asked.

Adam and Jesse sighed, "He's trying to find the right way to woo Piper." Jesse said, "She's all he talks about. I swear I'm going to call Julie and beg her to come here and kick his ass. Thank God Piper is going with her parents and grandmother to Chicago soon, or I think I would shoot myself."

"At least we are going to Boston soon." Charlie said, "Then you can get away from him."

"Point." Jesse replied.

"What do you think the girls are going to be like in Boston?" Charlie asked, "I mean, none of us have a girlfriend, so we're free agents."

"How did you know that I broke up with Annette?" Adam asked.

Charlie sighed, "Because you weren't going out with her because you liked her, you went out with her just to go out with her. It's the same thing that you've been doing for the past two years. You get with a girl that's basically a life-sized doll with just about the same IQ and then after a couple of months, three at the most, you break it off." Adam shrugged, "Dude, stop trying to forget Dani, it doesn't work that way. You don't forget the first girl you ever love."

It was clear that Adam didn't want to get into this subject, "Look, you know that if I don't forget about her then moving is not going to happen."

"Yeah, it will." Jesse said, irritably, "You just have to give it time. But you decided that the hard way wasn't the right way so you just started running after the Bimbo Express. Dude…"

"You guys have been wanting to say this for two years, haven't you?" Adam asked, getting sincerely pissed off.

Charlie sighed angrily, "Yeah, we have. But you're lucky it's us and not Portman that's trying to get this through your thick head." Adam stopped suddenly and looked slightly confused, "Man, he knew that Dani was the one that broke it off, but when he found out what kind of girls you started getting with, he was about ready to pummel you."

"Pummel me?" Adam asked, "Why?"

"Because he thinks that if he wanted Dani with anyone, he wanted to know that they wouldn't hurt her." Jesse said, "He knew that you would never to something like that to her so when he found out that you were getting with girls just to get with them, he figured that it was because of Dani and he didn't like that. I actually think I saw his bright red face from across the city."

"Whatever." Adam said, though somewhat unconvincingly, "I have to go call Jamie to make sure that he asked Mr. Li if it was okay for us to stay at his penthouse while we are in Boston."

"I thought you were going to call him a week ago." Charlie said, an eyebrow raised.

"I was busy." Adam replied, "I'll see you guys later." With that, he left at top speed, his best friends shaking their heads as they watched his retreating back.

"He just hates getting called on it." Jesse said, "He knows it's true."

"Uh-huh." Charlie agreed, nodding his head and taking anther drink.


	4. Old Friends

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

**AznIntegra-** A lot of people could slap Dani for breaking things off with Adam but then they, like you, would have to worry about getting the snot beaten out of them by her because Dani does not take getting slapped lightly. Yes, Dani still loves and misses Adam, but unlike him, she doesn't want to forget. Dean will be rather upset if they blow their second chance… Well, actually it's more like a third chance. He will have to kill someone if they blow it. Yes, Dean was pissed when Julie told him the truth and thank you for not blaming him. I would also react in the same way if someone hit my significant other. Thanks!

Thank you very much to TheHollister.

-(-)-

-Chicago, Illinois-

Dani, Dean, Julie, and Piper sat around a small table outside a small restaurant near The Rink, sipping drinks and waiting for their food to come to them. It wasn't too late out and the weather wasn't anywhere near being 'chilly' in any sense of the word, so none of them cared that they were only wearing shorts and t-shirts, "I'm going to be all alone at Eden Hall." Piper complained for the millionth time that night, "I'm going to be so bored."

"Jeez, Pi." Julie replied, "Relax, you have the girl's basketball team."

"Well, yeah… But they're not my big sister."

"Piper," Dean said, "UCLA and every other college is going to try and snap you up and offer you a basketball scholarship. At that time, you can pick whether or not you want to deal with us for three more years."

"I'd take the latter choice." Dani replied semi-monotonously. Dean reached over and swatted at her, causing her to laugh, "I'll be right back, I have to make a call." She left and Dean sighed.

"Calling Dave?" Julie asked, her eyebrows raised.

"More then likely." Dean said, "I swear there is something about him that really irks me. I don't know what it is and it's pissing me off, but what I do know is that if he isn't a lying jackass, then I'm a freaking fairy princess." Julie laughed as the visual of her boyfriend as fairy princess, "Thank you for understanding my pain, sweetheart."

"No problem." Julie replied, "By the way…" She promptly and sharply slapped him on the arm, "What the hell?"

"You 'what the hell'?" Dean asked, "What the hell was that for?"

Sighing, Julie held her head in her hand, "Dean, Dani told me that she is going to Boston College." Dean nodded, "And you know full well that that is the exact place that Charlie, Jesse, and _Adam _are going. How is it that she is ignorant about this little piece of information?"

Dean thought for a moment, "Must have slipped my mind." He replied, causing Piper to slap him as well, "Ow! You're as bad as your sister." Piper smiled, "Okay, I failed to mention it to her… And don't hit me." He said, holding his hands over his head as Julie and Piper pulled back their hands to hit him again, "I failed to mention it because I'm kind of hoping that Dani is extremely shocked by seeing Adam. Then maybe she will remember what she felt for him and, hopefully, she will forget all about Dave and get back with Adam."

"Wait, now you're trying to get Dani back together with Adam?" Julie asked, deadpanned.

"Pretty much." Dean replied, bluntly.

Julie stared at him for a moment like he was a complete idiot. Then, out of the blue, she smiled, "You are absolutely brilliant." Dean smiled and the two leaned in and kissed one another as Piper rolled her eyes and looked away, groaning as she did so. Julie pulled back and scoffed, "Don't you dare groan. You and Dani worked _so hard _to get us together, do start regretting it now."

"I'm not regretting it." Piper replied, "I just really don't need to see you two making out at every possible opportunity."

"They're making out at every possible opportunity?" Dani asked, walking back to the table, "Beautiful… Note the sarcasm." Piper nodded and Dean and Julie shook their heads, "Julie, that's your phone."

Julie raised her eyebrows and pulled her phone out of the pocket of that jacket that she had brought just in case it got a little cold, "How do you do that? It was on silent."

"I saw the light flashing through your pocket." Dani replied as she sat down.

"Oh…" Julie replied as she opened the phone, "Hello? Hi Jesse!" Dean, Dani, and Piper snapped their heads around to look at her, "What? Jesse… Speak slowly… And in English, please! 'Whatever my sister is doing to make Terry swoon, make her stop'?" Julie asked in shock as Dean and Dani raised their eyebrows and Piper choked on her lemonade, "What do you mean? He does what?"

"What is going on?" Piper asked, almost frightened, "What's he talking about?"

"Jesse, what are you talking about?" Julie asked, "Do you…? Do you want to talk to Piper about this?"

"YES!" Jesse's voice yelled so loud that Julie had to hold the phone about a foot away from her ear. Julie squinted her eyes at the phone and handed it to Piper, who took it, albeit hesitantly, "Piper?"

"Hi Jesse."

"What do you do?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Piper asked, "What ever this is, it's completely new news to me."

Jesse sighed and Piper looked up to see three expectant faces looking back at her, "Piper, I have no idea how you have this affect on Terry, but whenever someone mentions you he either gets giggly and messed up or he gets really quiet and red… He's got the hots for you and I have no idea how or when it happened… What are you doing different? And stop doing it when you figure it out, please. He's getting on my nerves. It's always 'Piper, Piper, Piper…'."

"Really?" Piper asked, "That's sweet."

"What?" Jesse asked as Julie nudged her sister's shoulder for more information, "What do you mean sweet?"

"Well, I mean, I suppose I should be flattered." Piper replied, "I don't quite know what he sees in me, but I guess I should take it as a compliment. If I talk to him when I get back to Edina, will that make you happy?"

"Do you have to wait?" Jesse asked, causing Piper to scoff, "Fine, I can wait. I'm leaving for Boston soon anyway. Look, just make sure that talking to him and figuring him out is your priority and I will not call you back and have to yell."

"Number one priority." Piper said, "You have my word."

"Lovely." Jesse replied, "I will see you later then. Put me back on with your sister."

"Okay." Piper said, holding out the phone, "Here you go." She said to Julie, holding out the phone, "He wanted me to give him back to you." Julie nodded and took the phone back, "Okay… This is going to be awkward."

"Bye, Jesse." Julie replied as she hung up the phone, "What was that all about?"

"Um…" Piper replied, "Apparently Terry has the hots for me and if I don't talk to him about it when I get back to Edina, Jesse is going to call me up and yell at me."

"What?" Julie asked, "When did this happen?"

"I have no idea." Piper replied, deadpanned as the waiter walked up with all of their plates on one arm and set them in their spots.

-(-)-

-Miami, Florida-

The sun was setting on the beach as Luis Mendoza and his older sister, Ruby, walked along, kicking up sand as they went. Luis loved his sister and he was going to miss her greatly when she went to college in Georgia; why she didn't stay in Miami, he wouldn't know. However, Luis knew exactly why he was staying. Not only did he love Miami, he had to take care of his Aunt Adora, the 73 year old women who had taken care of Luis and Ruby almost their entire lives. She wasn't blood related to them, but she was the best thing that had ever happened to them.

"So, you're leaving us again."

"Shut up, Luis." Ruby replied, "You got to go to fancy prep school so I get to go out of state for college. I'm only going up one state, you went to Minnesota." Luis chuckled, he and Ruby loved to tease each other, particularly about where they chose for school.

"Ha..." Luis replied as they walked off the beach and headed towards a beachside shack that had become the regular hangout for people their age, "You know, it just occurred to me that the Ducks won't see each other again for a long time… Well, the Minnesota Ducks will see each other over the summer and the one going to the same college will, but that's pretty much it."

"Aw…" Ruby said, "You'll see them again."

"I know." Luis said as they walked in, "But it won't be for a… What the hell is going on?" He asked, staring at a group of people at the far end of the shack who were being exceptionally loud and he wouldn't have been surprised if a few of them were already shit-faced drunk.

"Ugh." Luis heard, "They're from University of Florida." Luis and Ruby looked over to seen Ruby's best friend, Amaya, glaring at the group, "They are getting very annoying and I have half a mind to go over their and rip them all a new one."

Luis looked over in the group once more and squinted his eyes, "Scooter?" He asked, catching one of the young men's attention, "_Mi Dios_." **(My God).**

Scooter, of all people, turned and smiled. Luis gulped as Scooter walked over to him, "Hey Luis."

"Hey, Scooter." Luis replied, "How have you been?"

"Good." Scooter said, "Um… Just out of curiosity…" Luis raised his eyebrows, sure that he knew where this was going to go, "How has Julie been?" Yup, Luis was right.

"Good." Luis replied.

"That's good." Scooter said, "Where's she going to college?"

Luis smiled. He knew that this was his chance to make Scooter squirm and he definitely wasn't going to miss this, "She and her boyfriend were accepted to UCLA." Scooter's eyes nearly popped out of his head. What did he expect? For her to be single for the rest of her life or, perhaps, for her to be waiting for him? Julie and Dean were great together and Luis was sure that they were going to be together for a long time, "What?"

"Julie has a guy?" Scooter asked. Luis raised his eyebrows smugly and nodded, "Do I know him?"

"You might." Luis replied, not caring to elaborate.

Scooter sighed, "You're not going to tell me anything else, are you?" Luis pretended to think for a moment, then shook his head, "I guess I do somewhat deserve that. Julie and I didn't split up on the friendliest of terms."

"'Julie and I'?" Luis asked, "_You_ broke up with _her_ and she wanted to try and work it out." Scooter sighed, "Although, you did her a favor. She loves the guy she's with and she has you to thank for their little love fest." Scooter sighed again, "They'll send you an invitation to the wedding."

"What?" Scooter asked, his eyes popping again, "Wedding?"

"Not now, obviously." Luis replied, shaking his head and chuckling, "God, they are only 18." Scooter took a deep breath, "We have a favor to ask. Calm you're buddies down a little. Some people actually like peace and quiet." Scooter nodded and left, "Serves him right."

"Who is he?" Amaya asked.

"His name is Scott Vanderbilt, but everyone calls him Scooter." Luis replied, "He was the Varsity goalie at Eden Hall before he graduated. Julie got interested in him and they dated for over a year and he broke it off because he 'didn't want to tie her down'. Bullshit."

"Where have I heard something like that before?" Ruby asked.

"But, Julie is happy with Portman now and I suppose they do have Scooter to thank for that." Luis said, "Now I feel compelled to call her and tell her that I saw him and that he was asking for her."

"You should." Amaya said, Ruby nodding in agreement.

"Okay." Luis replied as he pulled out his phone and dialed Julie's cell phone, "I'll be right back." He said as he walked outside, "This is going to be too good."

The phone rang a couple of times before it stopped and Luis heard a familiar voice say, "Hello?"

"Cat-lady!" Luis called, "How have you been?"

"Hello, Luis." Julie replied with a chuckle, "Very good thank you. How about yourself?"

"Good." Luis replied, "But something interesting just happened to me."

"Oh?" Julie asked, "Do tell. You know how I like to hear interesting things about my dear friends."

Luis chuckled, "Yes I do." He said, "Well, you see, I'm at a popular teenage hangout here in Miami and who should I run into other then Scooter."

"Scooter?" Julie asked.

"Scooter." Luis replied, "He started asking about how you were and where you were going to college and all that kind of stuff."

"And what did you tell him?"

"I told him that you were good and that you and your boyfriend were going to UCLA together." He said. Julie laughed on the other end, "I figured you'd like to hear about that. Then he asked if he knew your boyfriend and I said that he might, but I didn't elaborate."

"Thanks."

"No problem, Cat-lady." Luis replied, "Then I told him that if he hadn't broken up with you then you would have never been able to be with your guy and that you would send him and invitation to the wedding."

"What?" Julie asked, have laughing.

"I told him that I didn't mean now." Luis replied, "I don't mean now… Do I?"

"No." Julie said, "Dean and I are not getting married anytime soon."

"Okay, that's good to know." Luis said, "I got to get off, or my sister and her friend are going to throttle me for not letting them eat. They have to wait for me and if I make them wait to long then I will get a frightening taste of the...um... Latina temper that I don't want to deal with." Julie chuckled, "See you around, Cat-lady."

"See you around, Speedster." Julie replied.

The two hung up and Luis smiled. He knew that they Ducks couldn't be apart forever. They may not be together as much as he would like, but he knew that they wouldn't be lone Ducks. After all, "Ducks fly together." Luis mumbled.


	5. Moving Up

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

**AznIntegra-** Yeah, all of the Ducks worry about not seeing each other again for a long time, yet they call each other constantly. They shouldn't worry so much if you ask me. Dean _is _brilliant for failing to tell Dani and Adam their situation and what's even better is he does it out of love, not annoyance! He definitely believes that Dave is absolutely wrong for Dani and I am glad that you must agree with him. We will find more out about Dave later. It is very ironic that Dani had to play cupid with Dean and Julie and that he is now doing it for her, that what I wanted. Thanks!

**sphinx005-** I'm glad that you've been meaning to review, I'm sure that you had other stuff to deal with, so I can't fault you. I'm happy that you like what you've read so far, even if Dani isn't exactly the same Dani. Not only does she miss Adam a lot (a fact you hit right on the head), but she also grew up a little bit. I think when Adam sees her he's going to be pleasantly surprised… Once the shock wears off, of course. Thank goodness you liked Jesse calling and scolding Piper. I was hoping that people would like that. Somewhere between the end of Life's Full of Little Surprises and starting this, I thought about what it would be like of Terry had a crush on someone (in this case, Piper) and what he would do about it and Jesse's reaction. Plus, I like the word 'swoon'. Thank you!

**TheHollister-** Yes, Ducks do fly together. I suppose somewhere near the end I will have all of the Ducks get back together again, but I'm not quite sure yet. I hope to do that, but I have to see where everything in the story leads me. Thanks very much for reviewing!

-(-)-

-Edina, Minnesota-

Adam stood with all of his luggage packed around him. Today was the day that he was officially leaving home and becoming a college student and, to be honest, he couldn't have been more excited. Sure, he loved Minnesota and he was definitely going to miss a lot of people, but he needed to get away. Maybe Boston would help him forget about everything that he knew he needed to forget. Maybe it would help him relax.

"Adam?" A voice called through his bedroom door.

"It's open." Adam replied, smiling as he turned to see his older brother entering the room. Jamie smiled in return, but Adam noticed that he was pale and tired looking, "What happened to you? You look like you saw a ghost."

Jamie laughed sarcastically and sat down on Adam's bed, "If you must know, Thalia went to the doctor today."

"Is she okay?" Adam asked, genuinely worried about his sister-in-law.

"She's fine." Jamie replied, "We thought she might be pregnant." Adam felt his eyes pop out of his head, "Relax. We only thought that she was. We found out that she's not."

"Oh." Adam said, "Sorry."

"Don't be." Jamie said with a chuckle in his voice, "To be perfectly honest, I don't think that either of us could handle having a baby right now. I just got promoted to partner but Thalia is seeing over a lot of her dad's business ventures. We have the money, but time is seriously lacking."

"True." Adam replied, "Although, you wouldn't exactly be upset if she was."

"No, I wouldn't." Jamie answered with a shrug, "I like kids. That's why I became a social worker. It was a calling." Adam snorted, "It was… Kind of like you and hockey. Anyone with an eye and the ability to comprehend the simplest notion can see that you're going to be in the NHL someday. Why you can't have a figure skater wife is beyond…"

"Jamie!" Adam snapped, "Stop it. It's been two years, can we please get off that subject." Jamie rolled his eyes, "Besides, there was never any indication that Dani and I were going to be together forever and get married or any of that."

"If you insist."

"I do." Adam replied, bitterly. Jamie sighed. Sure, he knew that Dani was a touchy subject with his little brother, but maybe if someone touched on it enough then Adam would get his head out of his butt and realize that he was always going to be in love with her.

"Whatever." Jamie said, "I'm going downstairs. I guess I'll see you later."

Sighing, Adam slumped on his bed. He hadn't meant to snap at Jamie, but everyone telling him that he and Dani should have never broken up was getting on his nerves. She broke up with him for crying out loud! It was time that they moved on like he had been trying to, "I hate everyone." Adam mumbled, not really meaning it, but feeling as if he needed to say something. Sure, the general consensus was that he and Dani were prefect for each other and that they should still be together and Adam agreed with it. However, Dani had made her choice and he couldn't change it now.

Truth be told, Jamie was the first person that Adam had seen in a few days. He had held himself up in his bedroom for the past few days, making sure that he had everything that he needed for his time in Boston. He planned on buying some things there, but the more that he could have without having to pay for it, the better.

"Adam!" His mother's voice called from outside the door and down the stairs, "Come down here!"

Adam sighed, "I'll be right down, mom!"

"Okay, honey." Corrine called back, "You've been up there for days. Are you alright, dear?"

"I'm fine, mom." Adam replied, knowing that his father was probably telling her to not worry about him and that he just needs some time alone to get ready for Boston. Adam was just like his father in the fact that both of them were meticulous planners and had to have every fine detail worked out before they went on a trip somewhere. It was a trait that Adam use to be embarrassed of, but now it was just a part of him.

"Adam?"

"I'm coming mom!"

-(-)-

-15 minutes outside of Los Angeles-

Julie knocked on the solid oak door of a large home outside of Los Angeles. The home belonged to one James LeMoine, or Uncle Jim as Julie and Piper called him. Jim was an old friend of their mother's who had offered Julie his home if she wanted to get away from the hustle of Los Angeles on weekends or use it all the time as a temporary home as opposed to the dorms. After all, he wasn't going to be using it; his work caused him to travel the majority of year, "Uncle Jim?" Julie asked as she knocked on the door again. There was no answer, so Julie tried the doorknob. It was open, so she walked in, "Uncle Jim?" She called again.

The house was dark and cold. All of the lights were shut off, the drapes and curtains were closed, and when she checked the thermostat, Julie found it set on 58 degrees. Julie knew that Jim was a little eccentric, so she didn't expect anything when she went in. Rubbing her bare arms, Julie walked around, wondering where he was. After a few moments, Julie heard a creak and she followed it, soon falling flat on her butt and momentarily screaming, "Julie!" Jim cried, "I haven't seen you for so long. You grew!"

"People tend to do that." Julie replied, still in shock and on the floor. Jim pulled her to her feet and pulled off the elaborately carved African mask that he was wearing, "Why were you wearing that?"

"I was bored." Jim replied, "I really muffles the hearing."

"But it doesn't cover your ears." Julie said.

Jim nodded, "I know. I haven't exactly figured that one out yet." Julie snorted and shook her head, "Anyway… I'm leaving soon, so why don't I show you which room will be yours and then you can look around afterwards.

"Sure." Julie said with a smile and Jim placed his arm around her shoulder and walked her up the stairs, "Why is it so cold?"

"I like the cold." Jim replied, "Do whatever you want with the temperature when you use the house. I don't mind because I can always change it back when you aren't in school." The two walked up the long staircase and Jim turned Julie into the first door to the left, "I figured that this would be the room that you liked the most."

"Thanks." Julie said with a smile on her face as she entered the room, "Wow." She whispered, looking around. The walls were covered in warm tans and gold and the wood around the room was deep, rich brown. The throw carpet was leopard print, the curtains were shimmery gold, and the bed coverings were teal (obviously to break up the tans and browns and gold's), "It's beautiful."

"I designed it myself." Jim replied, "I hoped you would like it. And the carpet is sheer coincidence, I put that down before your mother called me."

Julie giggled, noticing the joke, "Thank you again. You don't have to let me stay here."

"I know." Jim replied, "But you're mother has been my best friend since our high school days and I want to. Trust me, sometimes it's better to stay out of the dorms."

"I know." Julie said, "I never planned on staying in the dorm. The only roommate that I could ever have was Connie and I don't think that I could handle anyone else." Jim nodded, she had told him plenty about the Ducks before she came, "And, I'm not that far away from school."

"So, everything works out." Jim said, Julie nodding as she looked around the room and inside all of the furniture. However, when Julie opened the bedside table and her eyes widened, Jim feigned innocence, "What?" He asked.

"Uncle Jim… What the hell?" She asked, staring into the bedside table. Again, Jim feigned innocence, "Okay, I know that they did not put themselves in there, so what were you thinking?"

Jim sighed, "Your mother told me you had a boyfriend and that he is also going to UCLA." Julie scoffed indignantly at his reasoning, "Better safe then sorry I always say."

"Uncle Jim!"

"What?" He asked, "I'm looking out for you."

"You're hopeless." Julie said, slapping her palm to her forehead and slumping on the bed, "You really are."

"I've been told this several times before."

"Why am I not surprised." Julie sighed.

-(-)-

-Boston, Massachusetts-

Dani sat on the bed in her dorm room, catching up on nothing in particular. She would have been lying if she had said that she wasn't nervous about meeting her new dorm-mate. Pulling a sheet of paper out of her pocket, Dani looked over it. On the sheet were the particulars about her dorm, the name, room number, the name of her roommate, and other such information.

As she placed the paper back into her pocket, the door unlocked and two large men barged in, looking around. Dani sat in shock as the two men walked over to her, "Name, date of birth, and social security number, miss." One of the men said in the deeply authoritative voice.

Gasping, Dani managed to say, "Do you plan on killing me?"

The man opened his mouth to speak once again, but he was interrupted, "Both of you… Out!" A female voice called, "I don't know why my dad sent you ahead of me, but leave." The voice said as the body attached entered the room with a black bag slung over its shoulder.

"Ms. Adair…" The other man tried to say.

"Get out!" She screamed, pointing to the door. The men left and the girl sighed, "I am really, _really _sorry about this. My dad gets paranoid and he obviously forgot about promising to make them stay away."

"Obviously." Dani replied, still a little freaked out, "Does your dad, perhaps, run a country?"

"Nope, just a company." The girl replied, "I'm Teresa, by the way." She held out her hand and Dani shook it, "You must be Danielle."

"Please call me Dani." Dani replied, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Teresa." Teresa nodded and Dani took the chance to look her over. She had bright blonde hair that was definitely natural, steely gray eyes, a lean physique, the biggest pair of lips that Dani had ever seen, and a girl-next-door-ness about her, "Are they going to burst in here at random times and do something like… what they just did?"

"God, I hope not." Teresa said, "You know, you look familiar."

Dani chuckled, wondering if this was going to come up, "I get that a lot." She replied truthfully.

Teresa's brow furrowed as she thought, "I know!" She said, her face glowing, "You're the figure skater. You won the gold medal at the Olympics a couple of years ago."

"B-I-N-G-O." Dani replied.

"You were amazing."

"Meh…" Dani replied, shrugging and rolling her eyes.

"You were." Teresa responded, "You're long program was flawless."

"My short program, however, was deplorable."

"No it wasn't." Teresa said, shaking her head but deciding that she should drop the subject. She dropped her bag on the bed and dug through it, pulling out several framed pictures, "Do you mind?" Dani shook her head and Teresa placed the pictures on the small desk that was placed for her.

"Who are they?" Dani asked, "If you don't mind me asking."

Teresa shook her head, "Of course not." She said, picking up one of the pictures, "This is my older sister, Alexandra. We call her Lex." She showed the picture to Dani, who took it to get a better look, "She's 21." Dani nodded, noting that the two looked insanely alike, even more so then Julie and Piper. The only difference seemed to be that Teresa actually wore more then a belly shirt and a mini-skirt.

"You two look alike." Dani replied.

Sighing, Teresa nodded, "We get that all the time." She took the picture back and pulled another one off the desk, "This is my mom, Elizabeth. She and my dad got divorced a few year ago."

"I'm sorry." Dani replied, taking a quick look at the picture before handing it back.

"I'm not." Teresa admitted bluntly, "When they fought it was like hellfire and brimstone erupted in the living room." Dani cringed, "Trust me, it was destined to happen from the time they got married. They got married only 5 months after his first wife died."

"You're very open about this." Dani replied, "Is that normal, or is the company easier to vent to?"

Teresa smiled as she placed the picture back on the desk, "A bit of both." Dani nodded and smiled as Teresa picked up two more pictures, "This is my dad, Thomas, and my older brother, Jefferson… We just call him Jeff." Dani nodded and looked over the pictures, "Actually, he's my half-brother, but who cares about the technicalities."

"Actually, a lot of people." Dani replied involuntarily, "But that was a rhetorical question, so forget I said anything." Teresa laughed as Dani handed the picture back to her, "So, do you live here or are you from out of town?"

"I'm a Bostonian." Teresa replied, "You're from Chicago, right?" Dani nodded, "I've never been there before." Dani raised her eyebrows, "Dad has, but he never lets me go anywhere. He's too overprotective."

"My dad's overprotective, too." Dani replied, "But he lets me visit places." Teresa sighed, "Jeez, is he that paranoid?"

"Yup." Teresa replied, "Jeff can go because he's being groomed to be dad's successor, but Lex and I aren't allowed… Not that that ever stopped her."

"A rebel?"

"Oh yeah." Teresa replied, laughing lightly.

-(-)-

-Elsewhere in Boston-

Athena Tracy, an attractive 43 year old women with a look of despair burned into her eyes, leaned against the counter of her kitchen while drinking a cup of tea. Well, she would never think of it as her kitchen. Her kitchen was on the other side of the city in the home that had belonged to her family for five generations before herself. However, when she was found out to have Paranoid Schizophrenia and her husband found to be dangerously Manic Depressed, she was forced to sell it and give her daughter, Leah, to her brother's second wife, Phyllis Graves. Athena would never forgive Phyllis for what she did. For 14 years she had had to make the small apartment that she currently resided in her home, not the comfortable 2 story home that she loved. On top of that, both she and her husband had to be under doctor's eyes for the rest of their lives… Just in case.

"Athena?" A comforting male voice said.

"Uh?" She asked, staring off into space.

"What are you thinking?"

Athena sighed, "Leah's 18 now." She said, "Do you think that she will ever want to see us?"

"Athena…"

"I'm serious, Morgan." Athena pressed on. She had forced her husband into this same conversation every day since Leah's 18th birthday, "She was four when Phyllis took her to Chicago. Who knows what kinds of things she put in Leah's head? She could brainwashed her into thinking that we were horrible parents and that we never wanted her and that we…"

Morgan cut her off by pulling her into a deep kiss. When he pulled back, he chuckled, "Athena, don't worry about that what-ifs. We both knew that there was always the possibility that Phyllis would try to turn her against us. We raised her to think her own way and not apologize for it. Hopefully the little time we had with her was enough."

"But I miss her so much." Athena whispered, "I want my daughter back."

As she started to cry, Morgan wrapped his arms around her, "I know. I do too." He replied as she sobbed into his chest. Ever since Leah's 18th birthday, Athena had been distraught whenever she even thought about Leah or looked at her old baby pictures. Morgan tightened his grip around his sobbing wife, but loosened it when a hesitant knock came on the front door, "I'll get that." Athena nodded, almost numbly, as Morgan released her and walked out of the kitchen, towards the front door. He opened the door and was shocked to see what looked like a clone of his wife standing in front of him, wearing dark sunglasses. The women removed the sunglasses and placed them on the top of her head, revealing, not chocolate brown eyes like his wife, but haunting hazel ones like his own, "Oh, god." He whispered.

"Daddy?" Leah asked, staring at the red haired, hazel eyed man in front of her.

"Leah?" He asked, wondering if this was just a cruel joke. Leah smiled and nodded and the two rushed together and latched onto one another in a tight embrace, "Oh my god." He whispered again, "Speak of the devil."

"What?" Leah asked, pulling apart from her father.

"Your mother and I were just talking about you." Morgan said, stroking his daughter's face, "You're so beautiful." Leah smiled, "Come on in." He walked back in and let Leah walk in before closing the door behind him, "Athena!" He called.

"Hum?" Was all that came from the kitchen.

"Come here!"

"Why?"

"Just came here." Morgan called back. A distinct sigh came from the kitchen as Athena threw her cup into the sink and exited the kitchen. She entered the living room with her mouth open to say something, but the second she saw Leah, the words were replaced with a scream, "Honey?" Morgan asked.

Leah bit her lip, "Hi, mom."

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph." Athena said as she walked over to her daughter and placed her hands on Leah's face, "It's really you." Leah nodded and Athena hugged her deeply, "I thought that I would never see you again."

"What, did you think I would want to stay with Phyllis?" Leah asked, "I hate her. She's always been a bitch. I've told her this numerous times."

"See, honey." Athena replied, releasing Leah, "She agrees with me."

"I agree with you, too." Morgan said, "I just never said it to her face." Leah and Athena chuckled, "Let's sit."

"That's a great idea." Leah said, "I've been standing for what seems like hours." Both of her parent's gave her a 'why' look, "I… um… well… Okay, first I had to help my best friend move into her dorm at BC, then I had to move into mine, and then I had to go through ungodly amounts of security just to see my boyfriend. I hate having to share Gunnar with the rest of Boston… But I don't have a choice, so I guess I won't complain."

"Gunnar?" Athena asked.

"Sharing him with the rest of Boston?" Morgan asked, "What do you mean?" Leah figured that her parents knew who she meant, but probably didn't believe her. If her daughter had come back after 14 years and claimed that she was dating the biggest hockey player in Boston, she would probably think that her daughter was crazy. Leah reached into her pocket and pulled out a picture of Gunnar and herself, handing it to her father, "That's Gunnar Stahl."

"The new Bruins player?" Athena asked, "How did you meet him?"

Leah sighed, "Well, my best friend, Dani, was skating against his sister, Gala, in the Olympics a couple of years back and they gave Dani a ride home from the hospital after she and her coach got attacked by a lunatic." Morgan and Athena nodded, they had both heard that story on the news, "I was visiting her that day and Gunnar had stayed to watch after her. We meet in the kitchen in the building that she was staying in. Dani asked us to leave the room so that she could talk to the police and we got to talking and saw that we had a lot in common, so he asked me out. We've been together ever since."

"Really?" Athena asked, "You're dating an NHL player and best friends with an Olympian?"

"Gold medal winning Olympian." Morgan added.

"Yup." Leah said, digging into her pocket again and pulling out a picture of herself, Dani, Eve, Doe, and Cami, "That's me and Dani and our other best friends, Eve, Oliver, and Cami… We all met Cami a few years ago when she moved to Chicago from Spain." Athena and Morgan's eyes grew, "Her dad is in the military and she's dating Dani's brother."

"Can you tell us about the others?" Morgan asked.

"I don't see why not." Leah said, "Dani is originally from Chicago and she was the first person I met there. I joined a local hockey team and I meet her brother and she and I have tortured him ever since." Morgan and Athena laughed, "Oliver was born in Joliet, Illinois, but moved to Chicago when he was a little baby. We called him 'Doe' as a shortening of his last name, but he thinks it makes him sound to childish. He's going to Yale, so what to do you expect? Dani has known him since they were in diapers and she introduced him to me when I came to her 6th birthday party."

"He kind of reminds me of Alonzo." Athena said.

"He _is_ gay." Leah said, "A very proud of it."

"That would be it." Morgan said, "That's what reminds us of him."

Giggling, Leah went on, "Eve moved to Chicago from Liverpool, England when she was 12. Oliver met her in their math class and introduced her to Dani and I in the lunch room of our middle school."

"Wow." Athena said, "You have a diverse group of friends."

"Yes, I do." Leah replied, very happy about what her mother had just said.


	6. More Then Expected

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

**AznIntegra-** Thank you! Thank you! Yes, Leah did get her happy reunion with her parents. I'm glad you thought it was beautiful. Is Dani going to have a rude awakening when she sees Adam, Charlie, and Jesse running around campus? You're damn right she will. The same will happen with Adam. Knowing Charlie and Jesse, however, they will probably think that Dean is a genius. You never know what Dani will do to Dean when she finds out what he kept from her. But what you do know is that it is going to be pretty interesting. Thanks again!

-(-)-

-Boston, Massachusetts: 3:03 AM-

She was the All-American-Pretty-Girl and it annoyed the hell out of her. She had blonde hair and a shapely figure and a pretty face. That's all anyone saw. Teresa Adair was just another socialite to everyone else, but she wanted more then that. She had had a perfect grade point average since she was in kindergarten, was fluent in French, and knew what Einstein was talking about when he wrote down E equals MC squared. It meant energy equals mass times the speed of light squared, of course! Why didn't anyone care about that? All the cared about was her blonde hair and big boobs… That were perfectly natural by the way.

"Teresa?" Dani asked, "What are you doing? It's three in the morning. This is as bad as when my brother's girlfriend called me to pick her up at the airport over the summer a four in the morning."

"Oh, sorry." Teresa replied, "I'm was just having a bad day and it affected my sleeping patterns."

Dani leaned up on her arm, "What to talk? I hear that I'm a good listener."

"Thanks, Dani." Teresa replied. Sighing, she began, "My whole life I've been under a microscope and I've had to be perfect. My dad has a lot of rules and I have to look good for potential investors and the general public. Everyone expected me to screw up and go the partying socialite route. They still expect it."

"That sucks." Dani said, "It's kind of like the Olympics for me, except all day, everyday since you were born."

"Yeah." Teresa replied, "I just want people to look at me as someone who knows what she's talking about." Dani nodded, "Plus, my dad's oldest friends have sons who look at me like I'm a freaking T-bone stake."

"Ew…"

Teresa nodded, "Very 'ew'." She replied, "Henry Davison, Albert Salinas, and Edgar Hull are three of the most idiotic and chauvinistic jerks that have ever walked the earth. And they all are under the unfortunate delusion that I want them." Sighing, Teresa stood and pulled out a blue tank top and a pair of black jeans, "I'm going out." She said, pulling on her clothes over her pajamas.

"At three in the morning?" Dani asked.

"Yeah." Teresa replied, "I need to think and to think I need Boston Cream Pie."

"Really?" Dani asked, "Then how do you stay so thin?"

"Running away from everyone I can't stand." Teresa replied, "Which is a lot of people." Dani shrugged, "And, of course, one of those people could never be you."

"Aw…" Dani said, "I feel loved."

Teresa nodded, "Of course you're loved." She said, "Maybe I'll even go see my mom. Dad refused to let me go see her because he said that she was a distraction. Distraction my ass. He has had a lot of publicity on the company lately so Lex and I couldn't see her or more publicity would be on what his darling daughter's are doing with their 'pathetic mother'."

"Pathetic mother?" Dani asked.

Sighing, Teresa nodded, "That's what everyone who worked or works with Dad calls her. Just because she wasn't born into millions like them."

"They say that? Bullshit." Dani replied.

"I wish." Teresa said, "My mom grew up in a lower-middle class family. The only reason she knew dad was because she started working for the coffee shop were he went for his mocha lattés."

"My dad knocked my mom into the street accidentally and sent her skates flying halfway down the block... They almost hit someone." Dani replied, "But you don't really care how my parents met, do you?"

Teresa smiled, "Actually, it sounds pretty interesting." She said, "Maybe you can tell me later."

"Because now you have to get your cake masquerading as a pie." Dani replied, causing Teresa to laugh, "What? A Boston Cream Pie isn't a pie, it's a cake."

"It's yummy. Who cares what it is?" Teresa replied, "I'll see you later." Dani waved as Teresa left the room. She was sure that Dani was going to fall back to sleep the second she closed the door. Dani had been a wonderful breath of fresh air for her over the small amount of time that they had known each other. Dani was a little wacky and out there, but she had a good head on her shoulders. What Teresa was use to were the contradicting views of her father and brother to those of her sister. Her father was, obviously, very strict and business minded. At times he could also be cutthroat and conniving, while Jeff was business minded in the calm and collected way. Lex, on the other hand, was a completely different story. She was wild and rebellious and flamboyant. Although their father's rules didn't allow them to have boyfriends, Lex never paid attention and had started dating when she was 13. Lex was a little tease, showing off what she had, but never letting anyone touch. She was confident with the way she looked and didn't mind getting into scuffles. Teresa knew that she was jealous of her older sister in one way or another. She had a lot to be jealous of.

"Tess?" A deep voice asked as she entered the kitchen of a bakery that had long been owned by a friend of her mother's family, "It's three in the morning, what are you doing?"

"I need Boston Cream Pie." Teresa replied innocently.

"Teresa Meaghan Adair." The man said. In the light of the kitchen, Teresa could see the burn marks on the mans hands and arms from the boiling oil and hot ovens that he worked with on a daily basis, "It's three in the morning. We don't even open for another 4 hours."

"But Todd… I have money. I can pay for it." She replied, "I know that you've already made some." Todd Burke had been like a surrogate father to her and Lex since they were little. He was their much-needed sanity in the world. Todd had tried to reach out to Jeff as well, but Jeff had so much disdain for his sisters that he didn't accept what Todd had to offer. It was nothing to joke about, Teresa was sure that Jeff truly hated her and her sister. Teresa and Lex, despite being hurt by it, couldn't blame him. If your father married someone only 5 months after your mother died and then she got pregnant right away, would you be happy? No… Of course not.

"Okay, Tess." Todd replied, "Do you want to whole thing or a slice?"

"Just a slice, please." Teresa replied, pulling $1.75 out of her wallet, "Thanks, Todd." Todd smiled as he took her money and handed her a plastic container of her purchase, "Bye." She said as she left.

"Bye, Tess." Todd said. Smiling, he reflected. Teresa only allowed him, her mother, Lex, and Jeff to call her Tess, even though Jeff never did. Her father wasn't allowed even if he wanted to and he never even called Lex, 'Lex'. He said it sounded too boyish and that it would make people think of the Superman villain. Lex, however, refused to answer to Lexi or Alex and very rarely answered to Alexandra.

After leaving, Teresa figured that it would be a bad idea to just sit somewhere random, so she got on the train to her mother's. The train came in no time at all and so entered an abandoned car. Just as the door was about to close, a boy about her age with curly brown hair slid through the doors with a small suitcase. He had his cell phone to his ear and he was obviously flustered, "Next time, directions that actually get me where I need to go will help, Cake-eater." He paused for a moment, "Banksie, I've been running around Boston for the past 7 hours! How hard is it to find a penthouse? Is Jesse already there?" Another pause, "And he found it okay? Are you sure? Did you give us the same directions?"

"Yes!" The voice on the other line yelled, "For crying out loud, Charlie!"

"Calm down, Adam." Charlie replied, "You said the orange train? Good, then I will be there soon… I hope." With that, he hung up his phone and sighed, sinking into a seat.

"Bad day?" Teresa asked. Charlie shrugged, "Well, at least you know that your going the right way. This is the only train that will take you remotely close to any of the penthouses in the city… Unless you are talking about a hotel."

"Nope, just a regular penthouse." Charlie replied, "Charlie Conway." He said, holding out his hand.

"Teresa Adair." Teresa responded, shaking Charlie's hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"You too." Charlie replied.

Teresa looked at him for a moment, "You're not from around here, are you?"

"No…" Charlie said, "I'm from Minnesota."

"So, I'm guessing you're a college boy."

"That would be correct."

"BC or BU?" Teresa asked.

Charlie smiled, this girl was inquisitive, "BC." He said, "You?"

"The same." Teresa replied, her girl-next-door smile shining on her face, "Maybe we'll see each other around."

"Maybe." Charlie said.

Teresa moved her hair out of her face and behind her shoulder, "This is my stop." She said, "It was nice meeting you, Charlie." She stepped out of the sliding door and once it was closed, Teresa couldn't help but whisper, "Wow… I think I like Minnesota."

-(-)-

-Minneapolis, Minnesota: 9:23 PM-

Terry Hall stood in his room, staring at a picture of the D-5 Ducks. Those were definitely the days. But time had moved on and now he was a soccer star at his public high school. Terry had gotten into soccer because Jesse had mentioned that if he kicked around a soccer ball before hockey games, it would warm up his legs. It turned out that he preferred kicking the ball around to skating and chasing a puck.

A knock on his window cause Terry to jump for a moment, "What the…?" He asked himself as he walked over to his window and opened to door, "You're climbing in my window now?" He asked.

"I felt compelled to pull a 'Joey'." Piper replied, "Can I come in?"

Terry moved out of the way, allowing her in, "A 'Joey'?" He asked.

"Haven't you ever seen Dawson's Creek?" Piper asked. Terry didn't respond, opting to look out his window and see how she got up there in the first place, "I'm guessing that's your dad's painting ladder." Piper replied as Terry stuck his head out of the window.

"That would be correct." Terry replied, pulling his head back in, "You know, you're amazingly lucky that no one can see my window from any point in the city, or both of us would have a lot of explaining to do."

Piper scoffed, "I have an explanation." Terry raised his eyebrows, waiting for an answer, "I was trying to get your attention."

"Why?" Terry asked.

Sighing, Piper replied, "Because you have refused to talk to me ever since…" Piper cut off.

Terry finished for her, "Ever since you cornered me and told me I had to explain what the hell Jesse was talking about when he called you and told you that I swoon for you?"

"Something along those lines, yes." Piper replied.

"I figured that you wouldn't want me to talk to you." Terry admitted.

"Why?" Piper asked, her eyebrows raised, "Terry, we're still friends, aren't we? Why wouldn't I want to talk to you?"

"I'm sure you have plenty of rich boys falling all over you." Terry replied, "Why do you need me?"

"Don't get all emo and angsty on me." Piper said, crossing her arms across her chest, "You know full well that money doesn't mean a damn thing to me." Terry scoffed, "What is your problem? First I have to find out about whatever the hell we call our situation from Jesse, then I don't even get a straight answer from you, then you completely refuse to talk to me. Now you're treating me like a preppy snob or something."

Terry shrugged, "Whatever."

"Whatever?" Piper asked indignantly, "What the hell do you mean 'whatever'?" Terry shrugged, "Terry!" Terry stayed silent, "Whatever. This was hopeless." Piper made her way to the window again, but Terry stopped her.

"Piper!" He said, "I'm sorry, I…" Taking a deep breath, Terry continued, "Do you want the truth?"

"That would be great." Piper replied in an exasperated voice.

Terry fidgeted a little, "The truth of the matter is that… Jesse's right." Piper just stared at him, boring holes through him with her eyes, "Ever since I met you, I thought you were the coolest girl I knew. You're smart, athletic, and beautiful. I'm nowhere near your league."

"You're what?" Piper asked, "Terry… Why are you putting yourself down so much?" She walked back over to him and looked into his eyes, "Any why couldn't you have told me this earlier?"

"I thought I sounded too much like a girl." Terry replied, "I was scared that you wouldn't take me seriously."

"Terry."

"Yeah?"

"Quit being such a little idiot." She said, "You know that I take you seriously. I'm not going to flog you publicly if you tell me that you have a crush on me. I find it flattering. In fact, I've never thought that I was a person someone would have a crush on."

"Why?" Terry asked, his eyes bugging slightly, "You're… amazing."

"Well, that's one person who thinks so." Piper replied, slightly upset, "To be perfectly honest, I've got my fair share of self esteem issues."

"You?" Terry asked, "But you seem so cool and confident."

"It's called acting." Piper said, a tear falling from her eye. Terry walked over to her and pulled his arms all around her. This wasn't Piper at all. He was sure that Julie didn't even see this side of her sister.

"Piper…" Terry replied.

"Shit." Piper mumbled, pulling away, "No one ever sees me like this." Terry tried to protest, but Piper interrupted him, "Terry, I not going to unload my baggage on you. I'd better go."

Shaking his head, Terry gently grabbed a hold of Piper's wrist, "Piper, you can. I want to talk with you, I want to get to know you more. You don't have to put on a ploy with me. Everyone has their share of self-esteem issues. I have them, you have them, your sister has them… We all have them. Just talk to me."

"Trust me, you don't need my problems."

"I'm here for you, Pi. If you need me, I'm here." He leaned over and gently kissed her, catching poor Piper rather off guard, "And if you still can't talk to me, then why not your mom or Julie? I'm sure they'd understand." Piper was still getting over the electrifying shock of Terry kissing her, "Piper?"

"Terry?" Piper asked.

"Yeah, Pi?"

"I have a question for you."

"Go ahead."

Smiling, Piper replied, "If I say that I will talk to someone so that I'm not such an emotional wreak, will you shut up and kiss me again?" Terry raised his eyebrows while Piper smiled a smile that was half-angelic, half-devious.

Chuckling, Terry responded with a resounding, "Why not?"

"Then I'll talk to someone." Terry smiled and leaned back towards Piper, kissing her lightly on the lips. Piper wrapped her arms around his neck and began kissing him back. After a few moments, the two came up for air and Piper spoke, "So, are you going to ask me out, or do I have to do that?"

Chuckling again, Terry asked, "Do you want to go to dinner with me on Saturday?"

"I'd love to." Piper replied, "But now, I should probably get home." With one last kiss, Terry and Piper released each other and she exited his window.

Sighing, Terry could only think of one thing to say, "Damn…"


	7. How Did This Happen?

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

**AznIntegra-** Thank you so much! Yes, what did Terry expect from Piper? Just like a man… Anyway, Charlie is a nice guy and just the kind of guy that Teresa needs around. You know, laid-back, open-minded, sweet, a leader without being a jackass about it (at least, most of the time), and he has good intention even when his plans don't work out. Teresa is basically surrounded by jerks. People do judge her for being rich and privileged and she tries really hard to prove them wrong. She won't have to try hard for Charlie because he's a nice guy like that. As for Dani, shocked would be the understatement of the century when she sees Adam again. Same goes for him. Both of them will want to call him and beat him to death over the phone. You'll have to see how that goes. We'll get there sooner or later.

**sphinx005-** Thank you! Ah… The Jesse voice. I love it when people use the Jesse voice. That does sound like something that Jesse would say about his little brother, however he better not say anything like around Julie, or she might take it the wrong way. She has to look after her little sister, after all. Charlie and Teresa? Maybe that's what I'm going for, you'll just have to wait and see. But they will be good friends, if not anything else. Dani and Adam will have their awkward meeting soon enough. Patience is a virtue.

Thank you very much to TheHollister!

-(-)-

-Outside of Los Angeles, California-

Staring at the large house in front of him, Dean gaped in awe. Sure, he had lived in a large house in a great neighborhood for the majority of his life, but damn! This was a huge house with a lot of land surrounding it. Looking in the window, Dean could tell that whoever had let Julie borrow this place was really weird. How come Julie got to get such a great place like this free of charge while he, who would _never _room with anyone who wasn't Fulton, had to find and apartment and rent it? But, then again, who cares? He loved Julie so the fact that she got better accommodations didn't mean he loved her any less.

Knocking on the door, Dean sighed. Julie had come a few days before him and, to be honest, he missed her. True, he had gotten an extra month with her that he had not planned on, but he was whipped and proud to admit it. The door opened and Dean practically jumped in excitement when he saw Julie's smiling face, "Hey, stud." She said.

Dean smiled, picked Julie up, and spun her around. Julie squealed and giggled as he did this, but hadn't really expected any different. Once he put her down, Dean didn't give her a chance to say anything else; he placed his hands on her face and kissed her with vigor. Julie didn't bother to try and stop him, mainly because she didn't want him to, and wrapped her arms around his neck. After a few minutes, Dean pulled back ever so slightly, and replied, "Hey yourself, gorgeous." Julie blushed. She couldn't help it. It happened whenever he called her 'gorgeous'. No one, not even Scooter, had told her that she was gorgeous, "I love it when you blush."

"I don't." Julie mumbled, "It's awkward."

"Then my job is done." Dean replied jokingly. Julie sighed, "Jules?" He asked, "What's wrong?"

Julie shook her head, "It's nothing." Dean raised his eyebrows and looked directly into her eyes, "It's just that…" She took a deep breath, never able to resist him when he looked at her like that, "I've never been gorgeous to anyone. Anyone but you, that is."

With his sexy little half-smirk on his face, Dean gently pushed Julie's hair out of her face and behind her ear, "That's because no one has ever seen you the way that I do." He replied, "They all expect something and they were disappointed when they didn't get what they expected. I didn't expect anything from you and I got everything and more." Julie smiled and bit her lip. Dean immediately felt his knees turn into jelly, the same reaction his body gave whenever Julie bit her lip like that. Leaning in and kissing Julie again, Dean thanked his lucky stars for the trillionth time in the past 2 years that he was with her. Someone or something was watching out for him and gave him a lot to be thankful about.

Julie backed away, causing Dean to pout, "Oh, stop." She said, "Do you want to come in and see the house." Dean nodded and placed his arm around her waist, kissing her neck and causing her to giggle, "Dean." She said.

"Uh?" He asked, his arms still around her waist.

"Do you have to do that?"

"Of course!" Dean replied in a peppy voice. Julie sighed and walked into the house, making Dean close the door behind him, "So where is your room?" He asked.

"That is the first thing you ask me?" Julie asked. Dean shrugged causing Julie to shake her head and push him off of her, "You are such a loser."

"Aw…" Dean replied, pouting, "No I'm not."

Groaning, Julie silently cursed at herself. Why did Dean have to pout? And, even more so, why did she have to turn into a great big blob of sap when he did? "Okay, you're not." Dean smiled and kissed Julie on the cheek, "I love you."

"I love you, too." Dean replied, "So are you going to show me around?" Julie nodded, "Great." The ground floor had everything he expected. One and a half bathrooms, a kitchen, living room, dining room, several closets, and a laundry room. As Julie showed him upstairs, Dean noticed that she kept heading away from one of the bedrooms, "Is that your bedroom?" Sighing, Julie nodded, "Can I see it?" She shrugged, causing Dean to wonder. Why was she so uncomfortable just showing him her room? They'd been together in his all alone and nothing had ever happened. Besides, Julie knew that he wasn't the type of guy to pressure anyone, particularly her, into something she didn't want to do, "Jules, are you okay?"

"Of course I am." Julie replied.

"You sure?" Dean asked, "You seem a little… I don't quite know how to put it…"

"I'm perfectly fine." Julie insisted, "Do you want to see the room, or not?" She asked. Dean nodded and she opened the door, allowing him to look in it, "What do you think?" She asked.

Dean thought for a moment, "Well, I can say that it seems very Julie." Julie smiled and placed her arms around Dean's torso, kissing him gently on the cheek, "What was that for?"

"For being you." Julie replied.

Dean smiled back, but groaned when his watch beeped, "Damn it." He mumbled, stopping the watch.

"What?" Julie asked.

Sighing, Dean replied, "I have to go into the city and look at a few apartments." He admitted, "I'll be back in a few hours."

Julie bit her lip, "You can… You know that you can stay here, right?" She asked.

"Jules." Dean said, "I wouldn't want to impose."

"You won't." Julie replied.

"And I wouldn't want anyone, our mothers in particular, to get the wrong idea." Dean added.

Rolling her eyes, Julie said, "Dean, have you not noticed that there are plenty of rooms? Besides, our mothers trust us." Dean half shrugged and half nodded, "Dean, you don't have to." She said, looking into his eyes, "I'm just saying that you can."

Dean kissed Julie and hugged her, "Thanks Julie."

-(-)-

-Minneapolis, Minnesota-

Piper sat with her best friend and teammate, Delia Chadwick, and Delia's younger brother, Jon, in one of the parks in Minneapolis. Jon, who was on the soccer team at Eden Hall, frowned at the kids laughing and grinning at a soccer game that was going on, "What's your damage?" Delia asked, "So the kids like watching the soccer game. Who cares?"

"No one ever watches us like that." Jon replied. He had always been bitter that he had to be on a soccer team that got little or no recognition.

Piper sighed, "That's because you all, as a whole, suck." She sipped the strawberry smoothie that she had bought at one of the local cafes and smiled. The teams that were playing were members of Terry's high school team, including Terry himself. Another reason Jon was so bitter was because he knew exactly who they were and how good they were. After all, they were one of the best soccer teams in the state.

"She is right." Delia said, "You should get into something that Eden Hall is actually good at." She added. Truth be told, soccer was one of the only things that Eden Hall _wasn't_ good at. Hockey, basketball, baseball, speech, academic team… Eden Hall was good at all of them.

Jon shrugged, "Whatever." He mumbled bitterly. Jon was actually one of the only good soccer players at Eden Hall, so he was particularly bitter about his current situation.

"Heads up!" A voice called. The three of them looked over and saw a soccer ball flying towards them. Piper merely sat her strawberry smoothie down and caught the ball with both hands as it went over her head. Smiling, Piper could have sworn she heard a 'wow' or two and a few 'dang's.

Piper raised her eyebrows as she lowered the ball. She took it and started spinning it on her index finger, as she would a basketball. Terry, seeing who caught the ball, raced over, "Hello." Piper said innocently.

"You do know that touching the ball with your hands isn't allowed in soccer, right?" He asked, knowing full well that she knew the rules to soccer.

Piper smirked, "My sister is a goalie. I'm pretending to be her."

"But I don't want you to be Julie." Terry replied, "I like Piper." Piper placed her hand to her mouth as if she was flattered by his compliment, which she was, and continued to spin the soccer ball, "Can I get the ball back? These little kids are brutal if you don't play when they want you to. Trust me, I know."

"Maybe." Piper replied coyly as she stopped spinning the ball, "What am I going to get for it?" Terry raised his eyebrow, getting what she meant, but not quite sure about it, "Well?"

"Hmm?" Terry said, tapping his index finger on his chin as if he was thinking. He leaned over and kissed Piper sweetly on the lips, giving her exactly what she wanted. Piper then placed the ball in his hands, "Thank you, Piper."

Shrugging, Piper replied, "You're welcome." Terry smiled and she couldn't help but add, "Go get 'em, tiger." Terry went back to his game while Delia stared at him as he left, "What?"

Pouting out her lower lip, Delia replied, "He's a beautiful hunk of chocolate-y man…"

"He's my beautiful hunk of chocolate-y man." Piper said.

"I hate you." Delia said in some strange accent that Piper was sure didn't exist anywhere.

Piper shrugged, "I'm sorry." Delia stuck out her tongue as Piper started back on her strawberry smoothie.

Jon, seemingly oblivious to what was going on between his sister and her best friend, asked, "Do you think mom will transfer me?"

-(-)-

-Boston, Massachusetts: 8:35 AM-

Teresa sat on one of the benches outside of her dorm room. The past few days had been some of her best. Dani was the best roommate she could have asked for (although she had already known that), she had gotten to see her mother without any problems with her dad, not one of the 'three not-so-little pigs', as she called them, had given her any grief, and school had finally started.

"Hello Teresa." Okay, maybe she spoke too soon.

"None of you go to school here." She replied to the three not-so-little pigs, "So you should just go." Looking up, Teresa was met with the blue eyes of 'the all-American boy' Albert Salinas, the green eyes of 'the Lady Killer' Henry Davison, and the almost black eyes of 'the emo-rich boy' Edgar Hull, "What do you want?"

Albert laughed, "You just need to tell these delusional freaks of nature that I am the one that you want so that they can go crawl into a hole and cry."

"Whatever, man." Edgar replied, "She wants me."

"Both of you are off." Henry said, popping his collar, "I'm the man of her dreams."

"And all three of you are lunatics." Teresa stated, "Why can't you just leave me alone? I don't want any of you." With that, Teresa attempted to walk off, but Edgar grabbed her arm, "Can I help you?" She asked bitterly, staring at her arm where Edgar was holding it.

"As a matter of fact…" He began.

"Just who the hell do you think you are?" A pissed off voice asked as Dani came into view and jerked Edgar off of Teresa, "I do believe I heard the lady say that she wants you all to go." Edgar looked over to Albert and Henry, both of whom motioned that they should leave. All three did so and Dani looked back to Teresa, "You okay, Teresa?" She asked.

"Peachy." Teresa replied, "God I want to punch them so much."

"Then do it." Dani said, "I would."

"Yeah, I know." Teresa replied, "So would Lex… I, however, am a wimp. I couldn't swat at a bee if it was flying around my head. The only things that I can swat at are mosquitoes."

Dani shrugged, "That one, I can't blame you for. Those things are annoying… And rather attracted to me…" Teresa laughed, "Lucky I had to come back for one of my books. Who knows what that jerk would have done?"

"Thanks." Teresa said, feeling very stupid.

"No problem." Dani said, walking in the building.

"Yeah." Teresa mumbled. All her life Lex had had to watch out for her and get out of the few problems that she had. Now that Lex wasn't watching after her, was Dani going to be her new savior? That was the last thing that she wanted. Dani didn't need to get her problems. After all, Dani had her own, "I'm such an idiot." She mumbled, walking along to her first class, Psychology 101. Not watching where she was going, Teresa was shocked when she ran into someone, "Oh! I am so sorry." She said, picking up her things.

"It's okay." A familiar voice said. Teresa looked up and couldn't help but smile. It was Charlie from the train, "Teresa?" He asked when he looked up, immediately recognizing her as well.

"Charlie?" She asked, "Wow…"

"Hey." He said, picking up her purse, "I think this is yours."

Teresa shrugged, "Unless you have some deep, dark secret that I don't know about."

"Um… No." Charlie replied as she took her purse, "It's nice to see you again."

"You too." Teresa said, "So did you finally find your penthouse?"

"Finally would be the right word." Said two voices from behind Charlie. Charlie laughed sarcastically as two young men walked up behind him, "Introductions." They both added.

"Whatever." Charlie replied, "Teresa, these are my friends Adam Banks," Adam held out his hand and Teresa shook it, "And Jesse Hall." Jesse also held out his hand for Teresa to shake, which she did, "Guys, this is Teresa…"

"Adair." Teresa finished, "Teresa Adair."

"As in Thomas Adair?" Adam asked.

Teresa's jaw tightened, "Yeah." She replied through clenched teeth, "He's my dad…"

"You okay?" Jesse asked.

Teresa nodded, "Oh, I'm fine."

Adam furrowed his eyebrows, "Let me guess. When people find out who your father is and they look at the color of your hair, they automatically put you in the stereotypical category of 'stupid, blonde rich girl'." Teresa grimaced, "Trust me, I can relate... Without the girl part." He added, looking over at his two friends.

"Someone mind telling me what going on?" Charlie asked.

"Same here." Jesse added.

Adam rolled his eyes, "Thomas Adair. As in the owner of The Adair Corporation? He's only the richest guy in Boston and…"

"Moving on!" Teresa said out of the blue, obviously wanting to get off the subject of her father.

"Hey, Teresa!" A voice called, causing Teresa to turn, "I was wondering… Oh my God…" Dani had raced up to Teresa, but she stopped when she saw Adam. What the hell was going on?

"Dani!" Adam said in shock.

"Dani!" Charlie and Jesse screamed, hugging her into a sandwich between them.

"And Charlie and Jesse… Wow." Dani said.

"Dani?" Teresa asked, "What's going on?"

Charlie and Jesse let go of Dani and Charlie looked to Teresa, "Hey, Teresa, what class do you have?"

"Psychology 101…" She said hesitantly.

"Me too!" Charlie said, "Why don't we go together?" Teresa shrugged and Charlie linked his arm with hers and walked along, "Hey, Jesse, don't you have Sociology?"

"Yeah, I do…," Jesse said, starting to walk with them.

"In two hours!" Adam protested.

"It is best that I go now." Jesse said.

After walking along a little ways, Jesse and Charlie stopped and turned, watching Adam and Dani, "What the hell is going on?" Teresa asked, "How do you know my roommate?"

"She's Dani's roommate." Jesse said, "She can help us!"

"Help you?" Teresa asked, "With what?"

Charlie just looked at his best friend and sighed, "Damn it, Adam! Do something!" He whispered causing Teresa to raise her eyebrows, "Talk to her! Don't stand there like an idiot! Kiss her!"

"Yeah!" Jesse agreed. Teresa cleared her throat, "Oh… We should explain…"

Teresa nodded, "Yes, you should."

Charlie opened his mouth to say something, but Dani stormed passed them, "If you will excuse me I have to shoot, I mean call, my brother."

She walked away and Adam came up to them, "How the hell could you leave me there?" He asked, "I can not believe you two… I can't believe Portman! Why didn't he tell me that Dani was coming to BC?" He stalked off in a direction completely different then the one that Dani had taken.

"I think Portman is a genius." Jesse said.

Nodding, Charlie replied, "Agreed."

"Excuse me?" Teresa asked, "What's going on." Charlie sighed and explained the whole Dani/Adam ordeal to Teresa including their several break-ups and make-ups and Dean's role in everything that happened, "You know what?" Teresa asked, "I'm in!" She said. From the story, Dani and Adam seemed to really love each other. No wonder when Teresa had asked about love lives, Dani had never wanted to get in on the subject.

"All right!" Jesse said, "I'll see you guys later." With that, he ran off.

Charlie smiled, "We should get to class." Teresa smiled and nodded. _'Just don't get yourself in trouble, Charlie. You heard what Adam said about her dad. He could have trigger-happy security.' _Charlie, however, shook the thought from his head as he and Teresa entered their Psychology class and got two seats next to each other in the middle of the room.


	8. Phone Calls

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

**AznIntegra-** Thank you so much! Yes, Dean is very dead. After what he did, you pretty much hit the nail on the head when you said that he should find someplace in Julie's house to hide. I think murdering Dean would not satisfy Dani and Adam enough, they would have to bring him back a couple of times. Yes, Dean is a genius, but a genius marked for dead. Charlie and Teresa may get together soon, we'll have to see. As for his temper, it may be a good thing when it comes to the jerks that constantly chase Teresa, but it won't be good around her father.

**TheHollister-** Thanks! I'm glad that you are excited for what happens next, that makes me excited. You love my writing style? Well, that's good considering I don't know any other way to write and if you didn't like it, I'd probably be screwed. I, personally, don't think that it's nerdy that you don't enjoy reading stories with spelling and grammar mistakes even if they have good plots. I hate that too. Before I even upload my story, I read over it a million times to check my grammar and spelling (my English teacher would be proud) and then I recheck it again after I upload it. That's what I do and I'm proud to admit it. When I read over my stories after I save it as a new chapter and I find a mistake, it really annoys me!

Thank you to leo-red!

-(-)-

-Outside of Los Angeles-

It was almost six in the morning in California and Dean was sleeping soundly in his room. He had taken Julie up on her offer to let him stay at her place and selected a room all the way down the hall from her, just in case anyone got any wrong ideas. Nothing was going to wake Dean up before 9am… Well, nothing except Julie.

"Holy shit!" Dean screamed as his cell phone went off in his ear. Okay, nothing but Julie and his exceedingly annoying ringtone would wake him, "Who the fuck…?" He asked himself, picking up his phone, "Dan?" He asked himself, staring at the caller ID. Flipping open his phone and putting it near his ear, Dean said, "Good morning, sunshine. Do you happen to know what time it is?"

Dani scoffed bitterly, "Not in California. In Boston, however, it's almost 9."

"Really?" Dean asked, "It's almost six here, Dani. My first class doesn't start until 10:45. I don't have to be up before 9… And that's 9 in California, not Boston. What the hell do you want?"

"What do I want?" Dani asked, "What the fuck do you think I want, Dean? I want an explanation as to how in the world it slipped your mind that Adam was coming to BC? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Oops." Dean replied simply.

"Oops?" Dani asked incredulously, "What the hell do you mean? Oops!" Dean didn't answer, "Is this all some elaborate scheme that you came up with to get me to dump Dave?"

"I don't know what you are talking about, Dani." Dean replied convincingly, even though she had busted him, "But, trust me, I wouldn't cry if you did dump him. But that's not the point."

"What's the point?" Dani asked.

Dean sighed, "The point is that it's almost six in the morning and I have more sleep that I can get in. Dan, I'm exhausted and I don't have anything else to say that will make you not be pissed at me about Adam. And even if I had mentioned it before, you wouldn't have done anything about it. I mean, what _could_ you have done? Drop out of BC? I think not." Dani scoffed, "Now good-bye!" With that, Dean hung up his phone and laid his head back down on his pillow. After a few moments, the exceedingly annoying ringtone blared through his room again, "Son of a bitch!" Dean screamed picking up the cell phone again and reading the caller ID, "What the hell do you want, Preppy!"

"What the hell do I want?" Adam asked bitterly, "Where do you get off not mentioning to me that Dani's going to BC? You know how hard I've been trying to move on from her."

Dean rolled his eyes, "Yeah, with the biggest tramps in Minnesota." He shot back, "Look, get over it."

"'Get over it'?" Adam asked indignantly, "How do you expect me to do that with her around?"

"You misunderstood." Dean replied angrily, sitting up, "I don't mean get over my sister. I mean get your head out of your ass and realize that you will always love her and that you will always want to be with her. Stop using moronic tramps as a quick fix distraction. Dani has beaten herself up plenty of times over breaking things off with you. It's the worst and hardest thing she has ever done in her life and if you don't do anything, then she will continually beat herself up over it." Adam gulped at a lose for words, "She needs to know that you don't hate her. That's her biggest fear."

"Wha… What?" Adam asked. How could Dani think that he would hate her? There was no way in the world that that was possible. She could stab him in the neck with a fork and he still wouldn't hate her!

"What the fuck did you think?" Dean asked, "That she was a manipulative and cold-hearted bitch?"

"N… No." Adam said, "Of course not, but…"

"No buts!" Dean replied in a loud voice, "Both of you have issues that you need to work out. You may hate me and what to shoot me and want to kick my ass, but that doesn't change reality. Leave me alone and work out your damn problems. Good-bye!" With that, Dean hung up and a knock came on his door, "Yeah, Jules?" He asked.

Julie entered the room, chuckling, "I take it Adam and Dani finally saw each other again."

"You take it correctly." Dean replied, flopping backwards and banging his head on his headboard, "OW! Damn it!" Julie walked over to him and kissed the top of his head.

"Better?" She asked.

Dean shrugged and sat up again, "Slightly." He replied, leaning over and kissing Julie as gently as he could, "Do you have an early class?" Dean asked, noticing that Julie was dressed in jeans and a tee-shirt.

"In about an hour." Julie replied, "You?"

"First class is at 10:45." Dean said, "I plan on getting a little more sleep." Julie nodded and leaned over to kiss Dean on the cheek, "What?"

"Just in case you're gone before I get back." Julie said. Dean smiled and pulled Julie closer to him and kissed her deeply. Julie smiled under to kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck and responded. Though the experience was enjoyable, Dean couldn't help but notice the pain he was getting in his back and neck from having to lean down to Julie as the bed he was residing in was very tall. Doing the only thing he could think of, Dean pulled Julie up onto his bed, keeping their kiss intact. However, when she reached the bed, Julie seemingly panicked and pulled away, "I should go." She whispered in a rush.

"Julie." Dean said, gently grabbing onto her arm as she tired to leave, "What is the matter?" He asked, "You act like you're uncomfortable when you are around me or when we are alone."

"It's nothing." Julie replied, trying to leave.

Dean sighed, "Jules… You know I would never pressure you into anything… Right?"

"Of course I know that." Julie replied, not able to look Dean in the eyes, "But…"

"What?"

Taking a deep breath, Julie managed, "But then I think back to the first day I was in Chicago." Dean raised his eyebrows, "I was walking around with Dani, Eve, Leah, and Doe and we listened in on you and a few of the guys." Dean sighed, he knew exactly what she was talking about, "And everytime we are alone, I can't help but flashback to you being asked why, after nearly two years, we hadn't done anything yet."

"Julie." Dean replied, "First of all, it was none of his business." Julie nodded, "And second, I'm not wondering that. I'm perfectly happy now and we don't need _that _to make our relationship meaningful."

"Thanks Dean." Julie replied, still not looking him in the eye.

"Hey, look at me." Dean said gently, placing her chin in his hand and making her look at him, "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Dean smiled and kissed her once more, "You'd better get something to eat before you leave." Julie nodded and made her way off of the bed and out of the room, "They just don't get it…" Dean mumbled, "I truly love her."

-(-)-

-Boston, Massachusetts: The Next Day-

Dani sat in her dorm room and read over the notes that she had taken in her English 101 class. Her past couple of days had been interesting to say the least. Seeing Adam again pulled out all of the feelings that she had had for him and, to be perfectly honest, it scared the hell out of her. What if Adam hated her or never wanted to see her? That would be the worst. Sure, she still had Dave, but Adam was her first love and she wanted to be on good terms with him.

A muffled ring reached Dani's ear and she lunged sideways and pulled her cell phone from underneath her bed, "Hello?" She said when she put it to her ear.

"Dani!" An excited voice screamed.

Dani held the phone away from her ear for a moment as she blinked and shook her head to stop the ringing, "Hi, Tams." Dani replied when she put the phone back to her mouth, "How's NYC?"

"Good." Tammy replied, "Fulton surprised me with tickets to Wicked."

"I hate you." Dani replied, "I am dying to see that." Tammy chuckled, "Don't laugh at me, I've had a stressful couple of days."

Dani could practically feel the frown on Tammy's face, "Why?"

Sighing, Dani said, "Charlie, Jesse, and Adam are here at BC." Tammy squealed, "You didn't know?" Dani asked, "You went to school with them. How did you not know?"

"I did… Well, sort of." Tammy replied, "A lot of schools were looking at Adam and Charlie and I know that Jesse had been wanting to stay in Minnesota, but liked BC when he saw it. It doesn't surprise me." Dani scoffed, "But it probably does you."

"You think?" Dani asked, "Anyway, how's is my surrogate brother?"

"Fulton's fine." Tammy replied, "I know that he was a bit peeved when he found out that he would have to share a dorm, but he's gotten over it."

"Fulton has to share a room?"

"It's virtually impossible to get out of having a dorm at Columbia… Or at least, it was." She said, "His roommate is this guy named Roger, a native New Yorker from Yonkers." Dani showed she was listening and Tammy went on, "Fulton told Roger that he liked loud music and Roger gave him a set of sound blocking headphones."

"Huh?" Dani asked.

"Well, apparently, his dad is a gadget geek and has twenty million different things just lying around the house." Tammy said, "Roger said that his dad had more and that he wouldn't miss them. That way, Fulton could listen to his music and Roger wouldn't be disturbed."

"Well, that's nice." Dani said.

"Fulton thought so." Tammy replied, "But he still can't wait to see Dean again."

"I can honestly say that it's the same on the other side of the country." Dani said, "Dean's probably driving Julie insane. Did you know that she offered to let him stay with her while they're going to school?"

"She did… _what_?" Tammy asked in shock.

"Don't tell my mom, though… Or Julie's for that matter." Dani said, "I know that it's perfectly innocent, but people do jump to conclusions."

"This is true." Tammy said, "I would never want to see my mother's reactions, or anyone's for that matter, when Fulton and I…" Tammy stopped and Dani gaped at her phone.

After stuttering for a moment, Dani finally managed to speak, "Tams… Are you saying that you and Fulton have… Slept together?"

"No!" Tammy sighed, "We've spent the night together a couple of times, but it was nothing like that. It was all perfectly innocent."

"You two? Innocent?" Dani asked. Tammy and Fulton weren't the most innocent couple that people think of, and that was a fact.

"Yes!" Tammy said, "Innocent… And what do you care if Fulton and I slept together?"

"That would mean that you've been holding out on me, Tammy!" Dani replied, "You can't hold out on me. I would have needed details." Tammy groaned, "What?" Dani asked.

"You and your damn gossip."

"Only when it's about the people I care about." Dani replied. Tammy scoffed, "Well, have fun at Wicked, but I have to have my roommate show me around Boston. You know, see all the sights and whatnot."

"And I doubt you mean the historical ones." Tammy replied.

"Shut up, Tammy." Dani said, "I'll see you soon."

"Bye!" Tammy said as she hung up her phone and as Dani did the same.

Dani went back to her notes, but she was interrupted again, this time be Teresa entering the room, "Hi, Dani." Teresa replied, plopping all of her things on her bed and pulling her blonde hair back into a ponytail, "What have you been doing while I've been gone?"

"Reading." Dani replied, "I like to read over my notes after classes."

Teresa raised her eyebrows at Dani's notebook, "Um, Dani… I'm probably the biggest nerd you will meet, but I don't even do that until about the second week."

"Just trying to keep my mind off of things." Dani replied.

"Like… Adam?" Teresa asked, not even needing the answer. Dani looked up at her and glared, telling Teresa that she needed to back off, "Point taken." She said, "But can ask you a question?"

"If it's not about Adam." Dani replied.

Teresa gulped, "It's not." She said.

"Then go ahead." Dani replied.

Sighing, Teresa asked, "Um… Well, do you know… What I mean is… Do you know if Charlie has a girlfriend?" Dani sat in silence for a moment before breaking out into giggles that made her sound like she was high on something, "What?"

"You have a crush on Charlie." Dani replied.

Teresa sighed again, "I can't help it." She admitted, "I told you that all the guys that I know are basically jack-off's. Charlie's nice and sweet and cuter then hell."

Dani thought for a moment, "I've never gotten that phrase before. 'Cuter then hell'… How is hell cute? 'Colder then hell' also confuses me. Hell isn't supposed to be cold. To the contrary, it's supposed to be…"

"Dani!" Teresa exclaimed, "Not helping!"

"Sorry." Dani replied coyly.

"So, do you know?"

"I'm afraid not." Dani said. Teresa sighed and bit her lip, "But you could ask him out or something. What's the worst that could happen?"

"I completely embarrass myself and he says no." Teresa said.

Dani rolled her eyes and sighed heavily, "You are a total pessimist. You know that, right?" Teresa flopped on her bed and nodded, "I wonder where is comes from."

"From being a geek all my life and then suddenly having people chase after me because now I show off the fact that I have a chest and an ass." Teresa replied.

"You were a geek?"

Teresa chuckled, "I had thick glasses until about 2 an a half years ago and I had braces from the time I was 10 to the time I was 13. People don't care about me, they care about what I look like and what I wear."

"I get that a lot." Dani replied, "People expect me to walk around in skating dresses all the time."

"We have a lot in common." Teresa said, huffing.

Dani nodded, "We do… So, let's get you ready."

"For what?" Teresa asked.

"Charlie." Dani replied bluntly, causing Teresa a gape slightly.


	9. 5 Dollar Bills and Sugary Goo

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

**AznIntegra-** You sense that Chicago's Cupid has come to work in Boston? Do you really? Well, I sure do hope so because that's what is happening. Yes, a lot of people will have to thank Dani, a lot already do and now more will. That's just the way that Dani rolls and if anyone doesn't like it then they have to get over it.

**sphinx005-** Yeah, Dean is in an awful lot of trouble with Dani and Adam. Don't you just want to hug him? Anyway, you do have a point, they_ would_ have gone slightly nuts had they known that they were going to run into each other. That was not Dean's intentions, but he can certainly make a good point out of it. Ignorance is bliss, as you mentioned. I'm glad that you liked the Julie/Dean scene. He is very in love with her... It's so adorable! I'm ecstatic that you thought that Teresa thinking that Charlie is 'cuter then hell' was funny. I was kind of hoping that someone would.

**TheHollister-** Thanks! I'm happy that you love the relationship between Dean and Dani. They want to kill each other sometimes, but they love one another unconditionally and they would do anything for the other. However, I know some people who would have to advise you from wanting a twin brother, whether I brought on the wish or not. Dani and Adam will have a couple more awkward meetings, so I hope you can wait for those.

Thank you very much to Jas120!

-(-)-

-Minneapolis, Minnesota 12:45 pm-

Casey Conway, Jada Prince, Corrine Banks, and Alicia Hall sat together around a table in the Mall of America. They were waiting to go to a movie together, just them with no kids and husbands (or fiancés) allowed, but they had arrived early and decided to mill around a bit before hand. This particularly suited Corrine, "No husband, no kids..." She whispered as she took a sip of iced tea, "Can it get any better?"

"Weren't you the one who was sobbing uncontrollably long before Adam even left?" Jada asked with one eyebrow raised, "I do remember him coming over to my house several times and begging Pi to hide him."

"Boys are completely irrational." Corrine replied, "I am the mother and I deserve at least a couple months to cry before my youngest son leaves to go to college half way across the country."

"Charlie and Jesse went to Boston, too." Casey said, pointedly, "And Julie is in California." Corrine shrugged and laughed, "But it is good to get away from the kids. Anne is looking after them at the moment. I swear, that woman is going to kill herself with too much fun."

"Where's Gordon?" Alicia asked.

"Boston, actually." Casey admitted, "Deirdre, Kennedy, and Nick kidnapped him early this morning. He's been to Boston before and they wanted him to show them around the city as well as see Charlie."

The other three women nodded, acknowledging that they knew what Casey meant and Jada opened her mouth to talk again, but she was interrupted by a very loud young man's voice, "I am the best! Nobody can beat me, particularly at basketball. That is my sport!" All four women at the table turned to see Terry with several of his friends from school. Terry and all of the others except for the one that had spoken were rolling their eyes, "What?" He asked, noticing the eye rolls.

"Dude." A girl with dark skin replied, "Terry's girl could kick your ass, especially at basketball." Terry seemed to think for a minute before nodding. Alicia raised her eyebrows, especially because Terry had seemed to not notice her in any way. She could use this because he had obviously not told her something.

"Terry doesn't have a girl." The boy stated bluntly. The girl nodded, "Well, who is she? You never told me about her. I don't know her, do I?"

"Yeah, you do." Several people said.

The boy raised his eyebrows, "Who is she, then?"

The girl snapped, trying to remember, "Oh, I know her name!" She said, "It's on the tip of my tongue. Um... Um... Short white girl, really pretty, green eyes, blonde hair, plays basketball for Eden Hall... Oh god."

"'Short white girl'?" Terry asked, "'Short white girl'?"

"I can't remember her name!"

Someone cleared their throat behind the group and caused them to turn, "It's Piper... But I guess I can live with 'short white girl'. Honestly, I've been called worse. Although, I tend to prefer 'vertically challenged' to 'short'."

"Who called you worse?" Terry asked.

"Aw... Protective." Piper replied, walking over to him and giving him a small peck on the lips, "It's kind of cute."

Alicia and Jada cleared their throats to get their children's attention. Terry and Piper, along with the rest of the group, turned. When Terry and Piper saw their mothers, both gasped, "Mom!" They cried.

"Hello." Jada and Alicia said.

Terry giggled nervously, "So... how long have you two been over there?" Jada and Alicia raised their eyebrows, "Wow. That long, huh?"

"Yeah." Alicia said, "So, do tell us, how long has this little rendezvous gone on?" Piper and Terry mumbled lowly. So lowly, in fact, that not even the group surrounding them could hear what they were saying, "I beg your pardon?" Alicia asked, her arms crossed across her chest and her eyes gleaming with determination.

"Three weeks." Piper said. Alicia scowled and Jada chuckled before holding out her hand. No one had expected this, but when Alicia took out her wallet and handed Jada a five dollar bill, everyone was truly flabbergasted, "Mom? What's going on?"

"How did you know?" Alicia asked, scowling even more.

"Know what?" Terry asked.

Jada ignored Terry's inquiry and spoke to Alicia, "It's very simple." She said, "Terry's intensely stubborn and Piper is exceptionally oblivious at times. This, unfortunately, was one of those times. However, everything has worked out and they are, in fact, together. Just like we wanted."

"Yes." Alicia replied. Terry's and Piper's presence seemed to have been forgotten, though both were indignantly gapping, "But you'd think that they would have done something before now."

Chuckling, Jada responded, "You're just bitter because I won the bet. I told you, it would take a long time for them to notice that they liked each other."

"Mom!" Piper and Terry exclaimed. How could their mother's bet on their love lives? That was so not motherly!

-(-)-

-Boston, Massachusetts: 6:35 pm-

To say the very least, it had not been Charlie's day. First he had been awoken at 4:00 in the morning by a car backfiring, then several annoying barking dogs kept him awake, Teresa had to wake him up twice during Psychology, and to top it all off, he lost the notes that he had managed to take! However, Teresa was an excellent note taker, so she might let him borrow hers for the night. To be truthful, Charlie was sure that she was an angel sent to keep him sane. Okay, that sounded kind of stalkerish, but come on! In the short time that he had known her, Teresa had offered him someone to talk to, a conspirator in the Adam/Dani reunion that he so desperately wanted, and she could help him understand what neurons were.

Charlie groaned bitterly when his thoughts were pulled away from Teresa by the ringing of his cell phone. Picking it up, Charlie sighed. He couldn't be angry at the one person he had ever considered his father for calling him, "Hello?" Charlie asked.

"Hey, Charlie." Gordon said back, "Guess what?"

"What?" Charlie asked.

"Guess."

Rolling his eyes, Charlie sighed. Wasn't he a little old for guessing games? And if he was, then Gordon had no excuse, "Um... You and mom eloped without telling anybody because you simply couldn't wait until summer?"

"Ha ha." Gordon replied, "Um no. Your mother would never do that and my mother would kill me if I even suggested the thought."

"I know." Charlie said, "What can I do for you?"

"Well, you can open the door for one." Gordon replied, "I've got three rabid siblings demanding to see you and two of them are threatening to kill me." Charlie chuckled. He was in Boston with Nick, Kennedy, and Deirdre. The latter two were probably the ones threatening Gordon's life. They did that a lot for some reason. Charlie got up from his seat in the living room of the penthouse and opened the door. Gordon clicked his phone closed, "Thank you."

"Hey Charlie!" Kennedy and Deirdre squealed, practically squeezing him to death the moment they saw him.

Gordon sighed, "I don't think that Casey would like it if you killed her son." He said, "So get off." Deirdre and Kennedy pulled away, but not before Deirdre muttered something about her being older so Gordon couldn't boss her around.

"Excuse me for breaking up this little brother/sister bitter bonding time." Charlie said, "But I have to go look for a friend of mine who's in my Psych class. Do you mind coming with?" The four shook their heads no, so Charlie closed the door behind him and walked to the elevator, "You're exceptionally quiet today, Nick. What's wrong?"

"Laryngitis." Gordon, Deirdre, and Kennedy replied, all three quite tickled, "He can barely talk." Kennedy added with a chuckle in her voice.

"Go to hell." Nick strained out in the lowest whisper possible.

"Okay, then." Charlie said, trying not to laugh. He kept quiet as he walked down the street, the four adults jogging to keep up with him, towards a place that Teresa had said was her favorite place to get a good cup of coffee. He entered the shop and looked around for her.

"Who you looking for?" Kennedy inquired as she, her sister, and her brothers caught their breaths. Charlie ignored her for the time being and kept looking around for Teresa. He soon caught a glimpse of her sitting in the corner, a book at her side. She was laughing with a girl who looked almost exactly like her. Teresa had told him that she had an older sister. However, Teresa beautiful smile turned into a scowl as a young man with sandy brown hair and green eyes approached her.

"What do you want, Davison?" Teresa's sister asked.

"Lex." Teresa said, "Just ignore him."

"Ignore me?" Henry Davison asked, "Now why would you want to ignore me?" Lex scoffed and was clearly bitting back a retort. She hated the way that this jack-in-the-box and his freaky pervert friends followed her baby sister around. Some day, they would get what was coming to them, "I just want to talk."

"And I want you to break your neck and choke to death on your own blood." Teresa retorted, "But sometimes life just blows and we don't get what we want." Charlie chuckled and Lex looked at Teresa in shock. That was not the little sister that she had last seen only a few weeks ago. Teresa talked about her roommate non-stop so maybe, Lex thought, whoever she was she was helping Teresa get a little bit more of a backbone.

"I concur." Lex said with a smile on her face. Henry scowled, knowing that he wouldn't get anywhere with Lex around. Knowing that he could do nothing else, Henry stroked Teresa's arm as he walked passed and left. As he walked passed Charlie, the latter felt a strong urge to beat this womanizing jerk into the ground, "Asshole." Lex mumbled.

Charlie sighed and walked up to Teresa, "I hope I'm not interrupting something." Teresa saw him and smiled sweetly, "But I was wondering if I could ask you a huge favor."

"Why not?" Teresa replied, praying that she wasn't blushing, "Oh, by the way, this is my sister Alexandra."

"Lex." Lex replied, holding out her hand.

"Charlie." Charlie responded, shaking her outstretched hand. Lex smiled, not failing to notice how Teresa got smiley and nervous around this rather good looking young man. A throat clearing made Charlie remember that he had guests as well, "Oh yeah and this is my dad..." Gordon stared at Charlie, not quite expecting to be introduced as 'dad', "Well you will be soon enough anyway, and my soon to be aunts and uncle, Kennedy, Deirdre, and Nick." They all shook hands, "Everyone, this is Teresa and Alexandra Adair."

"Adair?" Deirdre asked. Lex and Teresa rolled their eyes, but nodded, "That's... Nice."

Teresa smiled, "Anyway, you wanted to ask me something?" She asked.

"Yeah." Charlie replied, "My notes kind of ran away after Psych this morning. By ran away, I mean down the sewer." Teresa chuckled, "What?"

"You mean you actually managed to take some?" She asked, "I had to wake you up twice. I didn't think you were in tune with Professor Smith." Charlie turned red and mumbled something about dogs and cars backfiring and early morning wake ups, "I can understand." She reached into her backpack and pulled out a three-pronged folder, "They're dated, so you shouldn't have a problem finding todays."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you." Charlie replied, "You are a goddess." Teresa smiled and blushed, not use to that kind of compliment, particularly from a guy, and mumbled a small 'thanks'. Lex raised an eyebrow, noticing that Teresa was exceptionally taken with Charlie, "I'll return these to you tomorrow."

"No problem." Teresa said, "By the way, I have a question." Charlie nodded, "Where does Adam like to sit in the movie theater?"

"What?" Charlie asked, confused.

Teresa sighed, "That sounds really weird." She said, "I know it does, but there is a reason behind the question."

"Middle of the theater." Charlie replied, "Why?"

Teresa chuckled, "Well, so does Dani." She said, "In fact, Dani and I are going to the movies tomorrow night and if you and Jesse and Adam just_ happen_ to show up and we _happen_ to sit together, but you, Jesse, and I just _happen_ to not like were we are sitting..."

"But Adam and Dani don't want to move, so they are stuck together the entire movie." Charlie finished, understanding her plan, "Unless there is anyplace to move in the middle."

"True." Teresa replied, "But somethings are worth the risk. And, besides, that might seem rude to them and, who knows, maybe they won't want to move away from each others company?"

Charlie smiled, "It's official, I love you."

"Um... Thank you?" Teresa replied uncertainly. Lex watched in amusement as the young man in front of her effectively turned her sister into a lovesick blob of sugary goo. However, Teresa was brought back to Earth when her watch beeped, "Oh, shoot!" She cried, "Lex, we have to go."

"Why?" Lex asked. Truth be told, she liked seeing Teresa in her gooey state.

"Mom and Todd are making their specials tonight." She said, "Remember, we've been planning this dinner for the past two and a half weeks." Lex nodded, finally getting her sister's predicament out of her head and remembering dinner with her mother and Todd, "Um, bye, Charlie." Teresa said, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah." Charlie replied, slightly disappointed. He had hoped to talk to her more. But, then again, with Lex and his crowd of adults around, that might not have been the best of ideas.

After Teresa and Lex walked out, Kennedy placed her hand on Charlie's shoulder, as Lex did the same with Teresa, and they both said, "You got it bad, you know." Teresa and Charlie tried to shrug off their claim, but failed entirely.


	10. Movie Date

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

**sphinx005-** Thank you! I'm so happy that you thought that Terry and Piper being stunned by their mother's was classic. Even though classic wasn't what I had in mind, I won't complain. Yes, Dani is starting to rub off on Teresa, isn't it great? I have to agree, Teresa and Charlie are adorable. I'm glad that you liked what Teresa said to her unwanted suitor, I thought it was appropriate enough. Thanks again!

**CrazzyAngel08-** Thank you so much! I really appreciate it. I don't know about you, but the movie that I am sending them to, I really like. I hope you don't have any objections, but if you do that's okay.

**AznIntegra-** Yeah, Charlie and Teresa really do like each other a lot. I like to think that Teresa is a conniving genius and I am glad that you agree. But you are very right, neither Adam nor Dani is going to like the fact that their friends are trying to set them up. Dani just might do what you think. If she's angry enough, she'll do absolutely anything.

**TheHollister-** Yes, Charlie, Jesse, and Teresa are trying to get Dani and Adam back together. However, what will happen when they do is... I can't really tell you. You have to find out for yourself.

-(-)-

-Los Angeles, California-

Julie gaped as she walked into the kitchen of her current home. The lights were dimmed romantically and the delicious smells of whatever Dean had cooked were bombarding her nose and she couldn't wait to eat whatever it was, "Dean?" She called, wondering where he was. Dean seemed to glide out of the kitchen. He wasn't dressed up in a suit and tie, but he looked absolutely amazing. Like the man Julie was in love with, "Hello handsome."

"Hello beautiful." Dean replied, walking up to Julie and kissing her. Julie smiled under his kiss and wrapped her arms around him, "How are you?" He asked as they pulled apart.

"Fine." Julie said, "What about yourself?"

"Can't complain." Dean replied.

Julie smiled and looked behind her, "What is all of this for?" She asked.

"This?" Dean asked, "Oh, this is just to show how much I love you. You were out here for our anniversary and I didn't get to do anything for you." Julie smiled and kissed Dean again, "Is that a thank you?"

"That it is." Julie said, "But you really didn't have to do this, you know that, right?"

"But I wanted to."

"It wasn't any trouble?" Julie asked.

Dean sighed, "Julie, nothing that I do for you is any trouble to me. I love you so much and I just want you to know how much I appreciate you." Julie sighed and looked to the floor, "Julie, what is going on? You aren't acting like yourself and it's starting to scare me." Julie tried to claim that nothing was going on, but Dean didn't buy it, "Jules, is it about what happened in Chicago? That day in the alley. What Carlyle said, I mean."

"No." Julie replied, "It's got nothing to do with that. It's got nothing to do with anything, I'm perfectly fine honey." Dean raised his eyebrows, "What?"

"You're lying, I can tell."

"Excuse me?" Julie asked.

"Every time you lie, your eyebrow twitches." Dean said pointedly, "And, considering your eyebrow just twitched, your lying." Julie tried to reply, but Dean cut her off, "What is so bad that you need to lie to me about it."

Julie gulped, her insecurities rising, "I just... I don't..."

"You don't what?" Dean asked, looking into Julie's eye and gently and lovingly running his hands down her arms, "What's wrong? Please, tell me."

"I don't know." Julie replied, "I've joked about it in past, but now, for the first time in our relationship, I feel like I'm not good enough for you." Dean gaped, confused. Julie thought that? If anything, he wasn't good enough for her, "I'm scared that you'll realize that and leave."

"What?" Dean asked, in shock, "Julie, baby, that's not true. Where did this come from?"

"I don't know." Julie admitted.

"Julie..." Dean said, "In all honesty, that is the last thing that you have to be worried about. There is no way in hell that you couldn't be good enough for me. If anything, it's the other way around."

"Dean, of course it's not." Julie replied.

Dean sighed, this was really the type of conversation that would ruin the dinner he made, "Jules, lets not worry about it. I made your favorite and I don't want it to get cold."

"Thanks." Julie said, exceptionally excited to stuff her face with the dinner that Dean had made. Julie loved the fact that all of the Portman children learned at an early age to cook from their dad. This excluded the four year old, but he would learn soon enough. She knew that their mother was happy about it as well.

Dean led Julie to her seat and pulled out her chair, "I hope you like it." He said.

"I know I will." Julie replied.

-(-)-

-Boston, Massachusetts-

Leah sat on Dani's bed as Dani got ready to go to the movie that Teresa had invited her to, "Are you sure you don't want to go, Le? I want you and Teresa to get to know each other."

"I'll come around later and then I can get to know her." Leah replied, "I was hoping that I could get Gunnar to meet my parents tonight." Dani looked over with a raised eyebrow, "What? I've spent a lot of time with my parents since I got back to Boston and I know that they would like him, so I want them to meet."

"That's cool." Dani replied.

"What movie is she taking you so see?" Leah asked.

Dani brushed her hair and replied, "Casablanca. She's taking me to one of those theaters that show the really old movies on occasion. She said that she saw it and that she loved it and that she thought that I would love it."

"I think I saw that when I was, like, 4 or something." Leah said, "I don't really remember, but... I don't know, I may be making this up." Dani chuckled, "So, care to give me anymore details about your run in with Adam?"

"Nope." Dani replied quickly and bluntly.

"But, Dan, you barely have told me anything."

"That's because there's nothing to tell." Dani replied. Leah could tell that she was getting irritated, so she didn't press the subject.

Leah sighed, "I'd better get going."

"I'll see you later, Le."

"That you will, Dan." Leah replied, "Bye."

"Bye."

Once Leah left, Dani started to feel guilty. She knew that she shouldn't get angry at Leah, but the fact of the matter was that she and Adam were over and that nothing was going to change that. Dani sighed as she stared into the mirror. She and Adam had moved on, they had other people... Didn't they? She had Dave, but did Adam have a girlfriend? If he didn't, he should. Adam was sweet, caring, loyal... What was she doing? Naming all of his positive attributes was not going to help her.

"Dani?" Teresa said as she entered the room, "You ready?"

"Yeah." Dani replied.

"Then lets get going." Teresa said, leading Dani out of the room, "You are really going to like this movie." The two chatted as Teresa drove from their dorm to the movie theater. Not really about anything, but it was enjoyable, "Here we are."

"Wow... That's a long line." Dani said.

Teresa nodded, "I know, that's why I got the tickets ahead of time." She pulled two tickets out of her pocket, "Here you go." She handed one to Dani.

"Thanks." Dani replied, "I must be good to have connections like yours."

"On occasion." Teresa replied. The two chuckled and stepped out of Teresa's car. After a few minutes, Teresa looked across the street, "Hey, look." She said. Dani looked across the street and gasped in shock. Charlie, Jesse, and Adam were crossing.

"Please tell me they aren't coming here." Dani said.

"I think they are." Teresa said.

Dani sighed, "Damn it." She mumbled and Teresa smiled inwardly. Dani was trying so hard, but she could tell that it wasn't working.

"Teresa! Dani!" Charlie called as he crossed the street followed by an excited Jesse and a mortified Adam, "I didn't know that you two were going to be here."

"Yeah, Casablanca is my favorite movie and Dani's never seen it so I decided to drag her." Teresa said, "How are you guys."

"Good." Charlie replied.

"Can't complain." Jesse stated. Adam however, just shrugged his shoulders, "That's informative." He mumbled at his friend.

"How come you guys are here?" Dani asked, trying not to sound nervous, "You don't seem like the Casablanca type."

Charlie smiled, "My mom and Mrs. Banks love this movie, so Adam and I have seen it before. We actually like it, so we decided to drag Jesse along."

Jesse nodded, "I'm always open to new experiences."

Teresa smiled, "Hey, I have an idea. Why don't we all sit together." Adam and Dani stared at her in shock as Jesse and Charlie agreed, "Oh come on, Dani."

"Yeah, Banksie." Charlie replied, "We'll even sit in the middle. You both prefer the middle."

Dani looked at Adam for a moment, "Why not." She said.

"Sure." Adam added.

"Awesome." Teresa said, "Do you guys have tickets yet?"

Charlie nodded, "My dad brought them for us."

"Well, then we can just go in." Teresa said, "Let's go." They walked passed the lines and into the theater, gave the ushers their tickets and walked into the theater. They all went to seats in the middle, just as they had promised Dani and Adam, "You know what, I'm going to get some popcorn. Anyone want anything else?"

"I'll come with." Charlie said,_ "Do_ you guys want anything?" He asked.

"A large Dr. Pepper and Nachos with cheese." Dani said, "If you guys don't mind." They shook their heads and Adam and Jesse asked for a Pepsi and a popcorn and a Sprite and M&M's, respectively.

"No problem." Charlie and Teresa replied.

When they were out of ear shot, Dani sighed, "They so want each other." Jesse nodded with and smile and Adam chuckled. After a little while, they came back with the snacks. It didn't take long for the theater to start to fill up.

Teresa sighed, "You know what, guys?" She said, "I know I promised I'd sit here, but I get a headache if I sit too close to the screen. Do any of you mind if I go to the back?" Everyone shook their heads, "Thanks."

"You know, that's a good point." Charlie said, "You guys know that I like sitting in the back row. Do you mind if I join you, Teresa?"

"Nope." Teresa said as they left the middle row and went all the way to the back. Their seats were soon taken up by other people.

Jesse squirmed a little, "What?" Adam asked.

"There are a few front row seats left. I like the front row." He said. Adam and Dani stared at him dangerously, as if to say 'don't even think about leaving us alone', "I'm going down there." He said.

"Jesse!" Adam and Dani hissed. Jesse ignored them as he raced down to the aisle. His seat was also taken up. Dani and Adam had nothing to do but sit next to each other, all alone.

"Adam... Please tell me they aren't trying to..."

"Set us up?" Adam replied, "I think they are."

"I figured." Dani sighed as the movie started.

In the top row, Teresa sighed, "Do you think they figured out what we did?" Charlie shrugged, "Well, do you think they'll be mad at us?"

"Yeah." Charlie replied, "Can I have some popcorn?" Teresa nodded and gave him the bucket of popcorn, "Thanks for helping us with them, even if they do get slightly pissed at us."

"No problem." Teresa said, "I talked to Dani's older brother, Alec, when he called her, but she was out. He told me that she has a boyfriend who is a real jerk and that I should do anything in my power to get her a nice boyfriend. I don't think he knew about Adam being here, but just a nice guy in general."

"I think it's genius that Dean, her twin brother, didn't tell them that the other would be here." Charlie said, "One, they would have gone crazy and two, you never know what will happen."

"True." Teresa said, smiling. Charlie smiled back; he couldn't help but notice how beautiful her eyes were. Not realizing what he was doing, Charlie leaned in and kissed her.

"I'm sorry." Charlie exclaimed after noticing his actions and pulling away, "I shouldn't have..."

Teresa effectively stopped Charlie by placing her index finger on his lips, "Shh..." She said, "You don't talk during movies." Charlie looked at her in shock, wondering what she was talking about. He knew that you weren't suppose to talk during a movie, but... Charlie, however, got his answer when Teresa took a bold step by leaning towards him and kissing him. Charlie kissed her back and gently dropped the popcorn bucket on the floor.

Down in the middle of the theater, Dani looked up at them and then scoffed, "I hate them both." She mumbled, "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

"Who? What?" Adam asked.

"Charlie and Teresa." Dani replied, "They're making out in the top row." Adam raised his eyebrows and looked up. When he saw that Dani wasn't lying his jaw dropped, "See?"

"Those two are idiots." Adam mumbled.

"I'm not prying them apart after the movie." Dani said.

"Ditto." Adam replied, "Let Jesse do that." Dani nodded. Adam looked back to the movie, feeling like an idiot. The woman he loved was sitting next to him, licking a bit of cheese off of her lip, and he couldn't tell her the truth about how he felt. They both had to move on and maybe this would help them... Yeah, that would work. Just one last date together, even though it wasn't really a date, and they would be fine. It would all work out... Wouldn't it?


	11. Do You Want the Truth?

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

**AznIntegra-** Nope, it didn't take Dani long at all to figure out what they were doing. Adam got it too. Yes, Charlie and Teresa were making out in the back row of a movie theater. You were wondering how long it would take them to start doing that? Really? Well, I hope it soon enough, or not too soon, depending on what you were thinking. Who knows? The movie may or may not change anything. We'll just have to see. Thank you!

**CrazzyAngel108-** I'm glad you loved it. I saw Casablanca a _long, _long time ago and I liked it, even though I didn't get it. Casablanca also fit the fact that it was a movie that Adam and Dani were going to and they were set up on a date by their friends. Don't feel stupid, that's the last thing that I want. I'm glad that you have no objections. No problem, I wouldn't want to pick a stupid movie. Thanks!

**TheHollister-** So true! That 'one last date' thing never works for anybody. Poor Adam and his confused soul and wishful thinking. I'm happy that you enjoyed it. Thanks very much!

-(-)-

-Boston, Massachusetts-

Dani sat on her bed, her face contorted in rage, fear, and pain. Charlie and Jesse knew that she and Adam were over, so they should have gotten the cue that neither she nor Adam wanted them to push them into anything. They knew what had happened and they should have left well enough alone. Teresa was a different story. She didn't know anything about Dani's relationship with Adam other then what Charlie and Jesse told her. She had no right to do anything like that stunt that she helped them pull. Tears rolled down Dani's cheeks as she waited for Teresa to return.

The sound of a lock unlocking caused Dani to look up. The door opened and an ecstatic looking Teresa entered the room, "Oh, hey Dani... What's wrong? Have you been crying?"

"Is it that obvious?" Dani asked sarcastically, "Did Jesse finally pull you far enough apart from Charlie to get him home?" Teresa practically jumped back in shock. She had never heard Dani use that kind of tone with anyone. Not even to Albert, Henry, and Edgar on the day that she had saved her from them, "You look surprised."

"I am." Teresa said, her quiet, submissive side bursting out as Dani's rage filled, fire-breathing side prepared to rip Teresa limb from limb, "What's wrong? Just talk to me."

"Talk?" Dani asked, not believing what she was hearing, "You want me to talk! Okay, lets talk. Who do you think you are? Where did you get the balls to think that you can pull a stunt like setting me and Adam up on a date. Not you, not Charlie, not Jesse had the right to even _attempt_ that. None of you should have done anything like what you did."

"They just want..."

"I don't give two shits and a rats ass about what _they _want, Teresa!" Dani screamed, "It's my life and it's Adam's life. No one, not any of you, has any right to mess with our lives. It's over between us and that's it! Nothing else. End of story. Bye-bye. See ya later!"

Teresa took a deep breath, "I don't believe that." Dani looked at her, wondering what it took to get this through this girl's head, "You're still in love with him."

Dani sighed, "What does it take to get this fact through to you?" She asked, "I am not still in love with Adam. We're over, through. That's all she wrote."

Teresa, who was backed up to a wall at this point, shook her head, "You almost convinced me, but you're eyes are giving you away." Dani felt her tears, which had only been dripping out of her eyes, flood out. She collapsed onto her bed in a furious fit. Teresa sat down on the bed next to her and sighed, "Just admit it, Dani. You still love him."

"I'm with somebody." Dani said, although Teresa could tell that it sounded like she was trying harder to convince herself that that meant that she didn't have anymore feelings for Adam.

"I know." Teresa said, "But that doesn't mean that you don't love Adam."

Dani sobbed and tired to catch her breath, "I can't. Not after what I did to him."

"Dani, he loves you just as much as you love him." Teresa said, "I can see it in everything about him. Whenever he's around you his face lights up, he has that look in his eyes, he changes the way that he stands. He wants you, he wants to be with you."

"He probably hates me." Dani said, not wanting to listen to what Teresa was saying.

"He does not!" Teresa replied, "Why would he?"

Dani took a shuttering breath. She had never broken down like this before, but she knew that Adam would be the only person or thing in the world that could make her break down, "Did I ever tell you why I broke it off with Adam?"

"No." Teresa said, "I asked, but you refused to talk about it and you changed the subject."

"That's because I'm ashamed of what I did to him." Dani replied.

"Ashamed?" Teresa asked, "Why? What do you have to be ashamed about?"

Dani turned over and sat up, leaning against the cold wall, "I broke up with Adam because I was going back to Chicago and I couldn't handle a long distance relationship. I was scared."

Teresa furrowed her eyebrows, "Of Adam?"

Dani shook her head, "No, not of Adam." Teresa obviously didn't get where Dani was going with this, but she allowed Dani to go on, "My first boyfriend, Corbin, moved away after we had been dating for a while. He said that long distance relationships can work out, so we stayed together." Teresa nodded, "Well, he moved back after and while and I went to surprise him after he was somewhat settled and I found him with another girl." Teresa gasped, "Yeah, I asked him what was going on and he said 'Oh didn't you get the memo. We haven't been together for a long time'. I was humiliated."

"Oh my God." Teresa said, "That jerk."

Dani nodded, "Yeah, he was. It's not Adam that I was afraid of, because I know that he wouldn't have hurt my like Corbin did, but I was afraid of the situation that I had gotten myself into."

"Why?" Teresa asked, "If you knew that Adam was different that your jerk-face ex, why did you break it off?"

"I..." Dani thought for a minute, "I just didn't want to hurt him or myself. I never intended to go to Minnesota and fall for my brother's teammate. I was just going for the Olympics."

"But aren't you happy that you met Adam?" Teresa asked.

"Yeah." Dani said, choking back more tears as she wiped the others off of her face, "Meeting Adam made me happier than anything in my life. Winning the gold wouldn't have been nearly as satisfying if I Adam hadn't been a part of my life."

"Go tell him!" Teresa urged, "Tell him everything. Tell him that you love him and that you're sorry and tell him the truth, that it wasn't that you didn't love him."

"I can't!" Dani replied, "I'm with Dave now!"

"You're not married to him."

Dani sighed, "Teresa, I just can't break up with Dave because..."

"Because you're in love with Adam." Teresa said, "I kind of think that, of that's the case, you can break up with Dave."

"Dave's a nice guy..."

"I hear he's a jerk."

Dani furrowed her eyebrows, "From who?" She asked.

Teresa chuckled, "Alec."

"Well he's an idiot!" Dani replied, "And he shouldn't even been worrying about my boyfriend in the first place."

"Your boyfriend in Chicago..." Teresa said, realizing something, "Wait, if you have a fear of long distance relationships, then why didn't you break it off with Dave when you left Chicago?"

Dani thought for a moment, "I... I don't know." She said.

"You are impossible to understand, Dani." Teresa replied.

"I know." Dani replied, "I've been told that many times."

"And you're not going to talk to Adam?"

"Nope."

"I hate you."

"But you like Charlie." Dani said, chuckling, "Did you two spend the entire movie making out in the back row." Teresa stayed quiet, but flicked her eyes around a few times as if she was hiding something, "Oh my God! You did!"

"We've both seen the movie before..." Teresa said, "It's not like we missed anything."

Dani thought for a moment, wondering if she had actually heard that coming out of her friends mouth, "Did you actually say that?" She asked. Teresa nodded, "Oh dear..."

"What?" Teresa asked innocently.

Shaking her head, Dani replied, "That's something that I didn't really need to hear, you know what don't you?"

"But it's true."

"I don't care." Dani shot back, "I didn't need to hear it."

"But you heard it anyway."

"Whatever." Dani sighed, "So, are you two ever going to go out, or are you going to resort to making out in the back of movie theaters?"

Teresa rolled her eyes, "Ha ha." She replied, deadpanned, "Very funny." Dani nodded, showing that she thought that it was, "If you must know, Charlie invited me to his place for dinner. I asked if he could teach me how to cook because my dad refused to let me learn."

Dani stopped dead, "Your dad never let you learn how to cook?"

"Nope." Teresa replied, "He said that it was work for the help and that I should have my mind on other things like keeping the help in line and keeping my grades up. He never cared about my grades, he just needed to look like it."

"Damn." Dani said, "My dad refused to have kids who couldn't cook."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh." Dani replied, "Our mom can't cook, so she agrees with him. Myself and the elder three of my brothers know how to cook very well. Felix, the four year old, will learn soon enough."

"Is that a fact?"

"That it is."

Teresa chuckled, "Damn I wish I had your dad."

Dani nodded, "Yeah, we got lucky."


	12. Tears

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

**AznIntegra-** Yeah, it is ironic that Dani broke up with Adam because of her fear of long distance relationships, but now she's in another one. It will all be explained later, I promise. Who knows what it will take for Dani to wake up? Well, I do, but I can't tell just yet. Dave might to what Corbin did, but we will just have to wait and see. Dani is _very _stubborn, but she might get less stubborn... But that's just a might. Thanks!

Thank you so much to CrazzyAngel108, TheHollister, Bad Best Friend, leo-red, and mdgirl! I really appreciate everything!

-(-)-

-Los Angeles, California-

Julie hummed to herself as she packed a weeks worth of her clothes. It didn't seem like fall break already, but it was. She was going to visit her mother and sister in Minnesota for the week while Dean, who was in his room packing, was going home to Chicago. She would miss him, but it was only a week; they could deal.

"Julie-Cat?"

"It's open." She said with a smile. For some reason, as of late, Dean had been calling her that instead of regular 'Julie'. It didn't bother her, she just didn't know why he was doing it. But, then again, she didn't know why he did a lot of things, so why should this be any different? The door opened and Dean walked in, smiling like he had just won the lottery or something, "What's up?" Julie asked, "You look happy."

Dean nodded, "I am." He said, walking up to Julie and kissing her so passionately that she was forced to lean back against her bed. Julie wasn't about to complain, she just let it happen. After a few minutes, Dean stood and backed away, allowing Julie to sit up. He looked in her eyes and said, "I love you."

"I know." Julie replied with a smile on her face, "And I love you."

"I know." Dean said, his eyes glinting.

Julie chuckled, "Is that all? You came here to tell me you loved me?" Dean shrugged, "What was the kiss for, then?"

"Just because I felt like it." Dean said in his usual Dean-like manner. Julie rolled her eyes, but smiled. Dean had a way of being the nicest guy you could know and somehow switching to a dirty boy. However, Julie couldn't help but find both sides of him equally attractive.

"Is that a fact?" Julie asked.

Dean nodded, but then stopped to think for a moment, "I did have another reason for coming here. I guess in all the excitement I forgot." Julie chuckled as Dean reached into his pocket and pulled out a long, thin box.

With her eyebrows raised so high that they were threatening to recede into her hairline, Julie asked, "What's that?" Dean smiled as he opened the box and revealed a beautiful amethyst bracelet; Julie's birthstone, "Dean..." She said before worlds failed her.

Dean couldn't help but smile as broadly as he possibly could. It would have been a lie if he had said that he hadn't hoped for that reaction, or something extremely close to it. As he pulled out the bracelet and placed it around Julie's wrist, Dean said, "I saw you looking at this when we walked passed the jewelery shop on our way to dinner."

"Dean, I..." Julie said, staring at the bracelet, "It's beautiful. It must have cost..."

"Julie, don't worry about it." Dean said, "I know that you wanted it and I wanted to get it for you." Julie smiled as she held her wrist up. It was a beautiful bracelet, there was no denying that. She then looked to Dean, who seemed to be on cloud 9. Without any warning, Julie pulled Dean to her and began kissing him as deeply and passionately as he had kissed her only moments before. After a few minutes, Dean managed to pull away, "What what that for?" He asked.

A devilish smile graced Julie's lips as she said, "Well you may have been finished, but I wasn't." Dean raised one eyebrow, clearly in shock. He had never seen this side to Julie and, to be honest, he liked what he saw.

"Is that a fact?" He asked, a sexy smirk gliding on to his face.

Julie plastered an innocent look on her face, but Dean could see right through it. She was being far from innocent, "Maybe it is." She said, pulling some of her hair down and twirling it like a dumb school girl. Dean chuckled and, not wanting to contain himself, pulled Julie close to him, placing his arms around her waist. Julie smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck as they resumed their kissing and ignored the phone ringing downstairs.

-(-)-

-Boston, Massachusetts-

As she closed her cell phone, Dani couldn't help raising her eyebrows. Dean and Julie had to be home and at least one of them had to hear the phone ringing. Oh well, she'd deal with Dean when she got home. That is, if she ever got home. For the past week she had had trouble with her flight reservations and she couldn't find her earrings that she lent Teresa for her date with Charlie. Speaking of Teresa, where was she? Dani hadn't seen her in nearly two days. But there was no need to jump to conclusions. She was probably visiting her mother or her father had made her come home for something.

"If I were her, I'd go psycho." Dani mumbled to herself, thinking about Teresa's family predicament. Dani continued her search for her earrings, hoping that Teresa hadn't lost them or taken them off and forgotten them or something. She searched relentlessly, only stopping when a knock came on the door. Sighing, Dani asked herself, "What now?" She got off of the floor and opened the door, jumping back.

"Hey..." A shocked and timid looking Adam said. If he had said that he thought that Dani would have been in, then he would have been lying... _'Wait a minute, it's Friday, not Thursday. Of course she's in, she doesn't have class today.' _Adam thought, scolding himself.

Dani gaped for a moment, "Hi..." She managed. The two just stared at each other for a few minutes, not sure what else to say. Neither wanted to look at the other, but they also knew that it might be thought rude if they looked away, so they both twitched around, trying to think of what to do, "Um, can I help you with anything?" Dani said, finally able to speak.

"Uh... Yeah." Adam replied as he pulled a box out of his pocket, "Teresa left these at the penthouse and I know that if I didn't bring them back to her then nobody would."

Nodding, Dani reached out towards the box, "Well, I haven't seen Teresa, so I'll take them." Adam gave her the box and Dani opened it, sighing in relief, "My earrings!" She said, "I'm never letting her borrow any of my stuff again." Adam chuckled, "Thanks."

"No problem." Adam said, trying as hard as he could not to do something that could possibly get him slapped.

"What's wrong?" Dani asked, noticing how uncomfortable that Adam was getting, "You look like your going to the electric chair or something." Adam shook his head, hoping that she wouldn't press the issue, "Sure and I'm the Queen of England."

"I'm fine." Adam insisted.

The two stood in the doorway, trying to look anywhere but at each other, "Do you want to come in?" Dani asked, immediately wondering why she asked. He would have left if she just had said that she needed to get back to packing, but no... She had to ask him in. Adam nodded, not really sure what to say and not able to turn down the invitation. Dani walked back and let him in before closing the door behind him.

"Going home?" Adam asked.

"Yeah." Dani replied, "Dean and Alec are too. Our parents said that we have to. Mainly because Dean will be spending half of Christmas and summer in Minnesota with Fulton and Mrs. Reed and Julie and Alec and Cami are going on a cruise over the summer. I have no idea what I'll be doing either of those times, but whatever." Adam internally chuckled, something about Dani had always been intensely amusing, "What about you?"

Adam shook his head, "Charlie, Jesse, and I are going to stick around for the week."

"That's nice." Dani replied as she went back to packing, "You won't think that I'm rude if I finish packing again, will you?"

"No." Adam said.

"Great." Dani said as she went back to digging around for clothes, "So... How have you been?" She asked, not wanting to leave him hanging. She had, after all, been the one to invite him in.

"Good." Adam replied, "Really good. Ken said that he saw you win the gold at Worlds last year."

"Yeah." Dani said with a slight smile on her face, "In Paris. I was surprised that Gala wasn't there."

"She wasn't?"

Dani shook her head, "Nope. I hadn't heard anything about an injury or a retirement. But a retirement is a ridiculous thing to think about. She was only 17 at the Olympics, so now she's 19... Well, almost 20, but that's still semi-young for figure skating. She wouldn't retire just yet."

"Semi-young for figure skating?" Adam asked, thinking over what she had said, "That sounds like they send you off to pasture when you reach 25 or something."

Dani shook her head, "No. Most figure skaters retire by the time that they are 30 because they've had a good run. Some have bad past injuries or their ankles are weak or something. If it's nothing too serious, most of them go on to coaching. That's what Coach Orion did, that's what my first coach did, hell that's even what my mom did for me."

"I suppose." Adam said.

"Besides..." Dani added, making sure that Adam got the point, "You can't tell me that you'll be playing hockey at 50."

Adam rolled his eyes, "That's different."

"Oh." Dani said, "It's different because hockey is about checking people into the boards and figure skating is about twirling in circles in little bitty outfits?"

"Now wait a minute, I'm not ragging on figure skating..." Adam said in an attempt to defend himself.

Dani just laughed, "I know." She said, mock-punching Adam in the shoulder, "Have a little bit of a sense of humor." Adam chuckled, not really getting the joke. He'd been terrified that Dani had thought that he was diminishing her sport. He would never do that. After his time with Tammy, during his time as a D-5 Duck, and Ken, during the Junior Goodwill Games and after, there was no way that he would think that figure skating was easy. It was like any other sport, it had to be worked at and often.

Adam realized that Dani had gone back to packing, so he decided to help. A small photo book was lying on Dani's bedside table, so he picked it up and held it out for her, "Here."

"Thanks." Dani said, taking the photo book and sliding it in a hidden compartment in her luggage. She thanked her heavenly stars that Adam hadn't opened it. There were plenty of pictures of Dave in there and she couldn't handle explaining him to Adam. Why she felt that way, she didn't know. There was nothing wrong with her being with Dave.

"No problem." Adam replied. He stared at her as she packed, he just couldn't help himself. Her swift movements as she moved around and stooped or rose to get things that she needed to pack made all of the memories that he had tried to forget come back. He loved her... Plain and simple.

Not able to stop himself from doing something that would, in his mind, get him slapped, Adam reached over and placed his hand on Dani's shoulder, "Adam?" Dani asked, looking up. Within seconds, Dani found Adam kissing her and she was responding positively. Her arms wrapped around his neck as his rested gently around her waist. It took a few minutes for Dani to realize what was really happening and when she did, she panicked. She pushed Adam away from her and held her hand to her lips. Adam could tell that she was close to crying, "Maybe I should go."

Dani nodded, "Yeah." Adam nodded and left as quickly as he could. Dani felt the tears fall down her face as soon as he was gone. She fell back on her bed and held her hands over her face as she cried.

**-Elsewhere in Boston-**

Jeff Adair stood in his father's study as his aforementioned father typed up the last of whatever it was that he was typing up. To anybody who didn't know that they were father and son, that fact would be oblivious. It was the same with Lex and Teresa. Thomas Adair was small and thin with girly hands, a shaved head because his light brunette hair had been falling out since he was 18, a protruding chin, brown eyes, and a constant look of being pissed off. Both of the girls looked like their mother. Blonde, beautiful, gray eyes. They had even inherited her intelligence. Jeff, however, looked exactly like his mother's family. Tall and lean, red hair, a strong square jaw, greenish-blue eyes, and a charming white smile. Luckily he had also inherited his mother's calm demeanor and ability to compromise, something his father lacked intensely.

"Jefferson?"

"Yes, Dad?" Jeff replied, suppressing his eye roll. He wanted to be Jeff, not Jefferson, to his father. Jefferson was so cold and formal, like he wasn't his son, just an underling at the office. Maybe that's what Lex felt like. She had often asked Jeff to call her Lex but he didn't. Did he seem as cold?

"Where are Alexandra and Teresa?"

Jeff furrowed his eyebrows. Was that the only reason that his father had asked him into his office, "I don't know."

"Well that's not very helpful."

Taken aback slightly, Jeff regained his composure and tried to not sound testy or rude, "I wasn't aware that I had to look after them. They're both old enough to watch out after themselves."

Thomas Adair looked up from his computer, "Don't get smart with me." He warned, "That is not the kind of attitude that one needs in any aspect of their life. Do you understand?"

"Absolutely, Dad." Jeff replied, but he could only think about how hypocritical his father was being. If one would look in the dictionary for the definition of smart-ass, Thomas Adair's picture would be right there. But Jeff couldn't think about his father like that. If he got on his bad side, then there would be no one left for him. His mother was long gone and the one person that he could ever confide in belonged to the one family that his father couldn't stand. As Thomas said, whenever the Walsh's came up, 'I dislike them with great intensity'. That basically meant that they were competition.

"Wonderful." Thomas replied, "Have I mentioned that marrying Elizabeth was the worst thing that I had ever done?"

_'Well no shit!' _Jeff thought,_ 'Mom had only died 5 months before. You didn't even tell Elizabeth that information.' _Jeff, however, kept his thoughts to himself, "Have you? I've never heard that. At least she didn't fight that pre-nup."

"Smart of her." Thomas said, "The girls are the worst part of the marriage."

"What?" Jeff asked in shock.

"They never should have happened." Thomas said, ignoring his son, "But... I have a reputation to maintain."

Jeff, in an attempt to erase what his father had said, shook his head and said, "Um... Dad the girls aren't... What I mean is... Both of them are intelligent and good for the family and..."

"They'll end up disgracing us." Thomas said, "Alexandra with her wild behavior and Teresa with her naivety. And Elizabeth isn't helping matters." Jeff could only sit and think. The girls weren't as bad as his father was making them out to be. Lex had never been photographed dancing on tables or drinking or smoking or doing drugs or anything like that and Teresa was exceptionally smart. Her only problem was her knack of being uncommonly kind to people. As for Elizabeth, she tried to help people, particularly the less fortunate. As a matter of fact...

The thought of making Elizabeth or her friends or the girls more important to him then his father had always haunted Jeff. When his mother died, he thought that all he had left was his father. Then Elizabeth came into the picture and Jeff couldn't help but resent her. She wasn't his mother, so who did she think that she was? As soon as he met her, his impression of her was shattered. She was too good of a person to be deceived, but he couldn't like her or his mother wouldn't be his mother anymore... At least, that's what he had thought. Then the girls came. First Lex, then Teresa four years later. They were good girls, but not his full sisters, so he could only half like them... Or that was what he had told himself.

Now that Jeff looked at things, everything was his father's fault. He had lied to Elizabeth, resented the girls, tried to turn Jeff himself into a ruthless pirate of the corporate world, and done countless other things that Jeff didn't want to think about. For so long, Jeff had tried to ignore everything and to feel the same way that his father did, but he knew that his mother would not have wanted him to be vindictive and cutthroat. Kathleen Adair had been gentle and kind and all that Elizabeth and her friends had done was be nice to him and offer a hand if they thought that he needed it.

"Excuse me." Jeff said as he rushed out of his father's office, towards the garage. When he reached the garage, he pulled out his keys and jumped into his Mercedes and raced off. In a flash, he was in the cemetery where his mother was buried. The trip over had made no impression on him whatsoever, he just needed to talk to someone and since he was forbidden to have any contact with any Walsh's, then his mother was his first choice.

Stepping out of his car and making sure it was locked before he closed the door, Jeff walked over to the headstone that read Kathleen Helen Wilcox-Adair. When he reached the headstone, Jeff found that his legs couldn't hold him. He dropped to his knees, rested his arms on the base, and cried.


	13. Painful Past

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

**sphinx005-** Yes, I finally updated. First my computer was all screwy and then I went on vacation for a couple of weeks, but that won't be a problem anymore. Adam and Dani smooched (YAY!) and I highly doubt that she would come anywhere near him with a rusty scalpel... That would be scary. I thought that Dean should do something cutesy for Julie and I'm glad that you liked it. No, Teresa hasn't been kidnapped, not even by Charlie. Her dad is quite the jerk, but it's okay, she and Lex don't let it get to them. Thanks!

**AznIntegra-** Poor Jeff is right! He's been looking up to a jerk for his whole life. Teresa, however, knew that he was a jerk, so she's better off then her brother. As for Dani and Adam, more will happen with them later. Hopefully it's to your liking. Dani is very stubborn, but that's part of her charm. Thank you!

**SilverRain1.3-** Thanks for all three of your reviews. I'm really glad that you like everything. I don't know how long this one will end up being; I didn't have much of an idea how long the other one was going to end up, either.

**joanoa-** Thank you so much! I'm glad that you liked the last chapter. I have no problem giving basic ages. Myrka and Julian are 15 and 8. As for Gordon's siblings, you have to think back to the movies. If he were 35 in the last movie then Kennedy would have been 31, Deirdre would have been in between 35 and 40, and Nick would have been 40 or slightly older at that time. Since they never gave Gordon's actual age, it's a bit of guess work, but since it's after the movies, you just have to add four years because of when this story is set. Basically they are all in between the ages of 35 and 44 now because -as mentioned in chapter 2- they were between 15 and 6 when their dad died and that was when Gordon was 10. This is all how _I_ interpreted the ages in the movies, so others might have a different opinion. If you need the ages of anyone else, don't hesitate to ask.

**CrazzyAngel108-** I'm glad that you think that everything is getting better and better. That makes me happy. I had hoped that the reunion would be liked and, so far, everyone does. YAY! Thanks, and I hope that you continue to like Jeff as I add more in about him. And, yes, I like that you're trying to expand your vocabulary. Good luck with that!

-(-)-

-Cambridge, Massachusetts-

During his time crying over his mother's grave, Jeff came to a conclusion. He was 27 years old, so why in hell was he still grappling on to his father for everything? Why couldn't he talk to someone just because his dad said that he couldn't? There was no reason for him to be treated like a child or a subordinate. That thinking is what lead him to where he was now. Standing outside of the large headquarters of the company that belonged to Lucian Walsh at 9 pm.

"Excuse me, sir." A voice said, causing Jeff to roll his eyes. He turned and promptly shielded his eyes from the light of a flashlight being held high by a security officer, "Can I help you?"

"You can get that thing out of my face." Jeff replied, "That would be wonderful."

"I don't like your tone, sir." The security officer said, "You should leave."

"Should I?" Jeff asked.

"Yes, you..."

"Jeff?" A female voice asked, causing Jeff to turn and smile, "Oh my god, what are you doing here?" The petite and pretty brunette asked as she gave Jeff a confused smile as she raced over to him.

"I came to see you." He said.

The young lady, not worrying about the security guards' presence, replied, "But I thought that you said that you father refused to let us talk to each other."

"Aimee, I'm 27." Jeff said, "I've come to the conclusion that I don't have to worry about my dad because I'm old enough to take care of myself."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that." Aimee replied, "You can leave now." She added to the security guard.

"Of course, Ms. Walsh." The man said before quickly making his way back to his station.

Aimee gave Jeff a pissed off smile when she saw that the security guard was out of earshot, "Now I can say what I _want_ to say. What the hell, Jeff? It took you _this_ long to realize that your father is constantly on a power trip about everything? Just because my dad has a company, too, you and I can't talk or hang out or... Ugh..."

Jeff knew that he was going to have to deal with this sooner or later, "Aimee... I know that it was stupid to listen to him, but..." Jeff sighed as Aimee glared at him expectantly, "I just realized that ever since my mom died, I've gravitated toward my dad because he was all that I had."

"You had your stepmom and your sisters, you still do."

"Yeah, but... It's really complicated." Aimee scoffed, "Aimee, I really am sorry. I have no excuse other then I was an idiot and I'm sorry." Aimee crossed her arms across her chest and pursed her lips, not wanting to listen to what he had to say, "I came here because I wanted to ask you to dinner... We could even go somewhere where the paparazzi are hounds, then we could be seen if _you_ want to be seen."

"What? Is this like a date?" Aimee asked, "Jeff, we already tried that route. You had your chance." Jeff tried to protest, but Aimee stopped him, "And you blew it."

"Aims..."

"Don't call me that." Aimee interrupted, "You gave up any right to call me that when you humiliated me in front of all of Times Square." Jeff knew that he had nothing to say to that. When he dumped her, it was more like his father was doing the dumping.

Swallowing hard, Jeff thought for a moment. He knew that there was nothing he could do to make her less hurt or angry, "I'm so sorry, Aimee. I never wanted to hurt you, I just... I don't have an excuse."

"I know." Aimee replied, "I have go now. Mom, Daddy, and I are spending the week in the Adirondack Mountains and I still have to pack." She turned and walked away, leaving Jeff very hurt. He knew that he had no way to explain himself, just that he was a jerk. What Jeff didn't know, however, was that as soon as Aimee turned, her eyes released the tears that she had been keeping in ever since he called her 'Aims'.

-(-)-

-Boston, Massachusetts-

Inside her comfortable two-story home along the beach, Elizabeth Collins -her maiden name, which she changed back to after her divorce- stirred a pot of the made from scratch tomato sauce that she was making for dinner that night. Teresa was standing next to her, trying to steal a piece spaghetti from the pot next to the sauce, "Hey, hey, hey." Elizabeth said, "Are you trying to burn yourself?"

"I want to check to see if it's done." Teresa replied, managing to steal and eat a piece, "Charlie said that the only way to know if pasta is done is to eat a piece." Elizabeth looked at Teresa with a raised eye, "What? I don't know anything about cooking other then what he's taught me, so I have to go by that."

"Charlie, Charlie, Charlie." Elizabeth said with a laugh in her voice, "I hear so much about this 'Charlie', but I don't know anything about him."

Unfortunately for Teresa, Lex entered just as their mother mentioned Charlie, "Oh, he's quite that cutie. He turned Teresa into a lovesick blob of goo within 2 seconds of talking to her."

"Lex... Shut up." Teresa said.

Rolling her eyes and chuckling, Lex replied, "Great come back, sis." Teresa sighed heavily and stuck out her tongue at her sister. She knew that she didn't have anything to come back with; Lex was right about how she got when Charlie was around. When Charlie was teaching her the basics of making chocolate fudge brownies, it took all of her self control to not slap the batter onto his face and lick it off. Jeez, what was going on with her?

Elizabeth turned her attention away from her sauce and looked at her daughter under furrowed eyebrows. She noted how guilty and slightly embarrassed Teresa looked, "So, are you going to tell me anything about him other then he's a, as your sister put it, 'cutie'?"

Teresa sighed and pushed her hair behind her ears, "Like what?" She asked.

"Oh, I don't know." Elizabeth said, "Like how old he is, where he's from, what is his family like, how you met him, does he have a dependency problem... Stuff like that."

Rolling her eyes, Teresa replied, "18; Minneapolis, Minnesota; they seem nice from what he's told me; coming to visit you, then outside my dorm; no."

"Did she just manage a smart ass response?" Lex asked, staring at her sister with furrowed eyebrows. Teresa merely smiled and stole another piece of spaghetti from the pot of boiling water, "What has that roommate been doing to you?"

"Teaching me to break someone's arm in 2 seconds and mentally exhausting me with her stubbornness." Teresa replied as if that was completely normal.

Lex furrowed her eyebrows even more and asked, "Huh?"

Teresa laughed but Elizabeth took her other daughter's reaction to Teresa's answer, "No, really. Huh?" She asked.

"Mom, it's nothing." Teresa replied, "Charlie's best friend used to date Dani and he asked me to help him get them back together. Both Dani and Adam are insanely stubborn, even though you can see that they care about each other more then anything. As for the breaking someone's arm thing, Dani's just teaching me some self defense. I asked her to."

"Teresa..."

"Mom." Teresa said, "I'm not going to go around breaking peoples arms. It's a just in case kind of thing." Elizabeth didn't know what to say, so she just stared at her daughter. Teresa's attention was quickly brought to the figure walking up to the house, "Jeff?" She asked, causing her mother and Lex to turn.

"What's he doing here?" Lex asked, "Doesn't he hate us?"

"Alexandra..." Elizabeth said warningly.

"What?" Lex asked. At that moment, Jeff knocked lightly on the door, "Hey, Jeff." She said as she let him in, "What's up?"

Jeff sighed, sat down, and banged his head on the table once, "Give me an honest answer. Am I a complete moron?" Teresa, Lex, and Elizabeth looked at one another, not able to answer. Jeff, however, didn't wait for one, "I mean, I break up with the one person who didn't care about my money because dad wanted me to and I treat you guys like crap because I wanted to impress dad... I'm an idiot."

Elizabeth, in an attempt to help, sat down next to Jeff and said, "Jeff, honey, I won't sugar-coat anything and say that you haven't made some mistakes, but everybody has."

"Not as many as me." Jeff said, "I gave up Aimee for dad... How weird and stupid does that sound?"

None of the women in the room could answer him. Teresa, however, had an idea, "Hey, Jeff." Jeff looked up, "I know how much you like Italian food and were having spaghetti tonight. Mom's even making homemade tomato sauce. Do you want to join us?"

Jeff smiled as Elizabeth and Lex nodded in agreement. They were inviting him to dinner after all that he had done to them. They were too nice to be treated like he had treated them, "I'd love that." Jeff said, "Thanks."

-(-)-

-Minneapolis, Minnesota-

Casey sat in the attic of the home that Gordon had bought for himself and his children. He had been asking her to move in with him for the longest time, but she had always turned him down. Now that they were getting married, it was finally time for her to move in with him, as her apartment would never fit 2 adults, 3 children, and a college student during the summer.

There were several large boxes in the attic and Casey wondered what was in them. She had asked Gordon, but he said that he didn't remember. They were just things that he had dragged around with him when he moved around, but he never opened them. Casey decided that if there was nothing important in them, then she and Gordon could give it away, but if it was then Gordon would want to know.

Pulling one of the boxes toward her, Casey pulled the tape off and opened the box, "Huh..." She said to herself as she pulled out scrapbooks and large picture books from the box. She opened one of the smaller scrapbooks and laughed. There in front of her was a picture of her future husband behind held by his father while his mother held a cake with a single candle in front of him. Deirdre and Nick were also in the picture, but they were huffing in the background.

"Case?" Gordon called.

"Up here." Casey called back. Footsteps coming up the stairs reached Casey's ear, "I found pictures." She added when Gordon was in her sight.

Gordon raised his eyebrows, "Really? Of what?" Casey handed the small scrapbook to Gordon. He snorted in laughter, "Oh... Wow."

"You were so little." Casey said jokingly.

Gordon nodded, "And absolutely adorable."

"I must agree." Casey said as she picked up another picture book. This one was slightly larger then the one that she had handed to Gordon. She flipped through it, completely confused; she didn't have the remotest idea who any of the people in the photographs were, except for Hans or Jan or Gordon, occasionally, "Honey?" She asked.

"Yeah?" Gordon replied, looking down. After a moment of silence, Gordon managed, "My God... I completely forgot."

"Forgot?" Casey asked.

Sitting down next to Casey and taking the picture book from her hands, Gordon sighed. This was something that he hadn't seen in years, "Johan, Dieter, and Heidi." Casey looked at him with furrowed eyebrows, "Hans' kids."

"Hans has kids?" Casey asked.

"Had." Gordon corrected, "Johan and Dieter were two years older then me. They died within 6 months of each other, 7 years before Hans of a genetic blood disease. Heidi was killed in a car crash when she was 19. Drunken Frat boys wanted to go for a joy ride and she was walking back to her dorm from a night of studying. Hans fell completely apart after she died. He managed to get a hold of himself, with help from Johan and Dieter. Then they died, but he kept himself together. I think he was comforted by the idea of seeing them again when he died; his death could have been much harder."

"Oh my God." Casey said, looking down at the picture Gordon had turned to. Gordon was working with the two older boys while Heidi read in the background, "She was a reader, it would seem."

Gordon nodded, "Yeah, she always had her nose in a book. She wanted to be a doctor in third world countries after she saw a documentary on African countries. She was constantly teased and ridiculed about it and Hans' accent. She wasn't 'American enough' even though she was born in the States. Johan and Dieter asked me to take her to prom, so I ditched mine and took her to hers. They got her dress size, Deidre bought a dress, and Kennedy kidnapped her to do her hair and makeup."

"You got your sisters in on the act?" Casey asked.

"I did indeed. She was only a couple of months younger then me, so it wasn't weird to go with her." Gordon replied. He turned the page of the book and chuckled sourly, "Franz, Wendel, Philomena, Otto, and Liesa."

"Who?" Casey asked with great interest, eying the picture.

Gordon sighed, disgusted, "Jan's kids."

"Jan had kids, too?" Casey asked, amazed.

"Has, unfortunately." Gordon replied.

"Meaning?" Casey asked, looking at him with raised eyebrows. Gordon didn't answer, "Gordon? Honey?"

Sighing heavily, Gordon managed to control his anger, "Franz, Otto, and Philomena don't talk Jan and Wendel only calls when he's in trouble or needs money. Liesa's the only decent one in the bunch. She lived in New York and Miami for a while, but she came back after Hans died to help Jan with the shop. I haven't seen her since I moved back to the state."

"You should introduce us." Casey said.

Gordon smiled, "Yeah, I should."

"We're going to be near the shop when we go look at cakes... Speaking of cakes, I saw an adorable figurine where the bride was clutching to the groom... He was trying to run away." Gordon laughed, "That's not coming anywhere near our wedding by the way."

"Nope..." Gordon replied.

"But back to the subject." Casey said, "I really want to meet her. And I haven't seen Jan since before Hans died... Now I feel really bad."

"You shouldn't. At least, not as bad as me." Gordon admitted.

Casey chuckled, "I'll take that into consideration."

"If you must." Gordon said, kissing Casey on the forehead, "I have to go pick Julian up from school, I'll see you later."

"I love you." Casey said as he left.

Gordon turned, "I love you too."


	14. Home

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

**AznIntegra-** Where have I been? Not anywhere in particular, I just haven't had a lot of time to write much. Yes, I did add a little tidbit of Hans' and Jan's pasts and I will bring Liesa into the story much later. I'm glad you liked the addition. Yes, Jeff finally woke up, albeit a little late, but he's a persistent kind of guy; not much will stop him when he gets him mind on something. Thank you!

**CrazzyAngel108-** Well, whether you stayed up late or got up early, I'm glad that you reviewed. Thank you for thinking that this story is great. It's nice to know that I can surprise you. Thanks again!

Thank very, very much to SilverRain1.3!

-(-)-

-Chicago, Illinois-

Though she was having a wonderful time, Dani couldn't shake Adam's presence from the back of her mind. Dave was sitting across from her in the small restaurant that he had brought her to as a coming home from college gift and he was being sweet as usual, but it was like Adam was in the room with them.

"Dani?" Dave asked, bringing Dani back to Earth, "You 'kay?" Dani shrugged and nodded, not wanting to lie about thinking about her ex, "You sure?"

"I'm fine." Dani replied. Dave smiled halfway, seemingly convinced. He was about two inches shorter then Dani with messy light brown hair and hazel eyes and only 20- not that much older then her- and he looked it. At first Dani thought that Dave would have a problem with her being taller then him, but he didn't seem to have a problem with it; even if he did, he didn't show it.

After a few moment's silence, Dave finally said, "So how is Boston?"

"Good." Dani replied, "Luckily I managed to get a roommate who was born and raised in Boston, so she showed me around a lot."

"I find it hard to believe that you haven't ever been to Boston before... At least, for more then college visits and stuff." Dave mused, "I mean, skating takes you all around the world, but you've never been to Boston? It's Boston, after all. Not like it's not really well known."

Shrugging, Dani replied, "Skating never took me there. It's probably one of the bigger cities that I haven't been to for a competition or exhibition. Don't know why, it just happened that way."

"It's weird."

"Not really." Dani replied, wondering why Dave was so stuck on the fact that she had never been to Boston before she started looking at colleges. He was pretty obsessive about somethings, but this was something that didn't need to be obsessed over.

Dave sighed and shrugged, knowing that if he pushed the subject then Dani would start getting a little irritated, "If you insist." Dani nodded, effectively closing that topic of conversation. In an attempt to get back on Dani's better side, Dave leaned over and tried to kiss her, but she moved her head so that he kissed her cheek.

There was no conscious decision behind Dani's actions, but it had just happened. However, the moment was cut off by a shocked scream of, "Dave? OH MY GOD!"

"Erin!" Dave exclaimed, looking up at the door at a small bottle blonde, but pretty women who was standing in shock. Her purse was in her hand, but at risk of falling out, "Wha..."

Erin was clearly close to tears at what she saw, but she was too angry to cry, "Dave, what the hell is going on?" She asked as she stalked up to the table, watching Dani like she was something disgusting on the bottom of a shoe or a deadly virus, "Who the hell is this?"

"Who the hell am I?" Dani asked, getting exceptionally pissed off, "Who the hell are you?"

Lifting her hand and flashing a ring set, Erin yelled, "I'm his wife!"

Choking and gasping for air as her throat closed in shock, Dani gazed daggers at Dave. He was clearly uncomfortable and glued to his chair, "His _what_?" She asked, more to Dave then to Erin, "What the _fuck _is going on? What else are you lying to me about?"

"I...I...I...I..." Dave managed.

Erin scoffed at her husband and finally cooled her anger a little, "Oh my god..." She said, "You're just a kid. How old are you?"

"18." Dani admitted, still exceptionally confused.

"_18?_" Erin screamed, slapping her husband across the face, "You're fucking 28 years old, Dave!"

Again Dani's breath caught in her throat, "What?" She screamed, jumping out of her chair, "You told me you were 20!" Erin scoffed in disbelief, knowing by the look on Dani's face that she was telling the truth, "You selfish bastard!" She said. With a small tick of anger, Dani realized that her vision went to Dave's ring finger, "You tan..." She said in a slow voice.

"And he takes his ring off when he does." Erin added, clearly ready to break something. However, she obviously had a lot of self control.

The gazes of the restaurant patron's were boring threw Dani as she felt tears of anger well up in her eyes and her face burn red in embarrassment, "Oh my... I didn't... I wouldn't... I have to go." She said quickly, picking up all of her things at top speed and attempting to run.

"Dani..."

Dani stopped for a moment and said, "Don't ever talk to me or think about me again, jack-off." She then turned to Erin, "I'm sorry."

Erin didn't seem to want to deal with Dani, she just wanted to dig into her husband some more, "Did you think about anything? Me? Our kids?"

"You have kids, too?" Dani asked, her eyes bulging.

"A boy and a girl." Erin responded.

The look on Dani's face was one of someone who wanted to puke. She gasped for air as she ran out of the restaurant and prayed that Dean, Alec, Caleb, and her parents would accept her apology. They had been right all along about Dave; something about him had rubbed them wrong, but she hadn't trusted their instincts because she didn't want to be alone with only memories of Adam. "Why didn't I listen to my parents?" Dani asked herself as she raced down the streets of Chicago to her home.

**-Portman Home-**

Kal, Alyssa, Alec, Dean, and Caleb sat rigidly in the dining room while they ate their dinner. Felix could sense the tension in the room, but he didn't know what was causing it and therefore he was slightly less affected. The five clearly knew that Dani had gone out to dinner with Dave and none of them liked it. The silence in the room was getting too much for Alyssa to handle, so she finally spoke, "So... How's school been?"

Both Alec and Dean knew that that had been addressed to them, "Fine." Alec replied, "About the same, no problems."

"That's good." Alyssa said, "Isn't it, honey?" She asked her husband.

"Yup." Kal replied, still to stuck on the fact that his daughter was out on a date with a guy he couldn't stand. Alyssa shot a glare at Kal because she couldn't elbow him, "Oh... Well, how's Cami?"

"She's good. She would have come back with me, but she has a paper due the first day back and she wants to get that done." Alec replied, "She's coming for Christmas and New Years, though."

Alyssa nodded, "Wonderful. Dean?"

"School is school." Dean replied, "Not bad, though."

"And Julie?" Alyssa asked.

Dean smiled, "She's good. Glad that she didn't have to get a dorm on campus. At first she was worried about getting to know people, but you know Julie. She's outgoing, so that wasn't a problem."

"That's nice." Alyssa said, "I... A little bird told me that you two where living together... Is that true?" Kal's eyes grew, Caleb perked up in interest, Alec chuckled, and Felix ignored everything as he was too busy playing with his mashed potatoes and peas.

"Um..." Dean said, "I... Well, I guess you could think of it like that." Alyssa sighed heavily and Kal dropped his fork onto his plate loudly, "What? Nothing has happened. We're not sharing a room or anything. She offered because she knew that I didn't want to have to stay in a dorm."

Alec chuckled again, "Just don't give me any nieces or nephews anytime soon."

Scoffing, Dean retorted, "I'm more likely to get one from you!" Alec's jaw dropped, "Oh come on. It's not like you and Cami haven't slept together; something, I might mention, Julie and I haven't."

Alec shot up from his seat so fast that his chair fell over, "Look you little..." The rest of Alec's sentence was overlapped by Dean and the two started yelling at each other at the top of their lungs. Caleb leaned back in his seat, as far away from the fight as he could, while still watching with interest and Felix crouched down so much that only from his eyes up could he be seen.

Kal and Alyssa jumped up as the latter whistled shrilly and yelled, "Stop it, stop it, stop it!" Alec and Dean immediately quieted, but she wasn't finished, "Why can't we have a nice, normal dinner with everybody here and not have an argument?" She sat down, shoved her plate out of the way, and rested her head in her hands.

"Honey?" Kal asked, "Are you okay?"

After taking a deep breath, Alyssa nodded, "I'm just a little stressed."

The atmosphere in the room calmed a little and everyone sat back down, Caleb leaned forward again, and Felix slowly popped back up. Just as the calm conversation was about to begin, the door slammed and Dani entered the room, "Hello all." She said in a chipper voice that showed she was pissed off, "Could someone please explain to me why I broke up with the only guy who wasn't a complete jackass?" She didn't wait for an answer as she made her way to the other end to the dining room and walked up the private staircase that led to her bathroom and bedroom.

No one knew what she meant, but at the same time the did. Everyone quickly stood and followed Dani up her staircase, passed her bathroom, and knocked on the secondary door to her room, "Dan?" Kal asked, "Can we come in?"

"Whatever." Dani replied, allowing them to spill into her room, "Are we having a family meeting in my room?" She was sitting on her bed with her knees brought up to her chest and her chin resting on her knees.

"That depends." Dean said, sitting on the swivel chair that she sat in to do her homework, "Is there a reason behind a family meeting?"

Dani sighed as her parents sat on either side of her bed, Alec leaned against the wall facing her, Felix sat on Dean's lap, and Caleb sat on the floor next to her bed, "Is an apology a reason behind a family meeting?"

"Apology?" Everyone asked.

Dani nodded, "Yeah. I'm really sorry." She said, "You guys were right about Dave... All of you. There was some stuff that he was lying to me about." Dean and Alec jerked like they were going to say something, but thought better of it.

"What happened?" Caleb asked, looking up at his older sister with concern.

Sighing again, Dani said, "He's married, actually." Everybody stared at her, "And he has two kids... And he's 28."

"What?" Dean shouted, "I'm going to kill him!"

"Get in line." Alec replied.

Dani chuckled, "I think you'll have to wait until his wife gets a shot at him." She said deadpanned, "She wasn't too happy at the restaurant but she had self control. I don't want to know what will happen when she gets him behind closed doors."

"Honey..." Kal said, "Are you okay? Really?"

Dani nodded, "I'm fine, daddy." She replied, "I'm not really all that shocked, surprisingly. I didn't expect him to be married, but I expected something. Don't know why." Shrugging, Dani went on, "Like I said before, I broke up with the only nice guy that I've ever dated because I'm an idiot."

"You're not an idiot!" Caleb said quickly.

Smiling and giggling, Dani replied, "Thanks." A few seconds later, Dani heard her cell phone ringing, "Oh, shoot! Where is it?" She asked herself as she lunged to the foot of her bed, pulled up her sheets, and looked under the bed, "Where is it? Where...? There it is!" She said triumphantly as she pulled it to her ear, "Hello? Hello?"

"Dan, you didn't open it." Dean said.

"Oh..." Dani said, losing herself to a fit of giggles. She opened the phone and said, "Hello?"

"Hi... What's so funny?" Teresa's voice said.

"Nothing." Dani replied, gaining control over herself, "What's up?"

Teresa stayed quiet for a minute, clearly trying to get her thoughts on her friend's strange behavior straighted out, "Um... Okay then. Anyway, not much really. I just called to say that I was sorry for leaving your earrings at Charlie's place. Adam told me that he brought them to you."

"Yeah." Dani said, "And that wasn't awkward at all."

"I'm sorry!" Teresa replied, "I totally forgot that I'd taken them off. Charlie started a flour fight, so I took them off so that they would get dirty, and I forgot."

"A flour fight?"

Teresa squeaked a little, "We were making brownies."

"Making brownies?" Dani asked as an idea popped in her head, "Oh, is that what they are calling it now?" Teresa sputtered and managed to say several unintelligible sentences before Dani said, "Joking, joking. Relax."

Sighing heavily, Teresa said, "I hate you."

"Oh, but I love you."

"Sure you do." Teresa replied, "Anyway, how about yourself? How are you? Anything new back home?"

"Nope." Dani said, "Not really... I broke up with my boyfriend, but other then that..."

"Really?" Teresa asked, perking up, "How are you holding up?"

"Good." Dani said, "I'm a bit relived actually." Teresa made an odd noise that told Dani that she was thinking about Adam, "Don't even think about it, missy."

Teresa gasped, "Now what are you insinuating?" She asked, "I am sure I haven't the slightest clue what you are talking about?" Dani laughed, "Well, I'm glad that you think it's funny. By the way, Charlie says hi."

"Tell him I say hi back." Dani said.

"Will do." Teresa replied.

A few minutes of silence rang through the phone, "You're looking at him now, aren't you?"

"Uh-huh."

"And why do I have the impression that you aren't exactly looking at his face?" Dani asked. She could sense that her parents and brothers were looking at her with shock and confusion, but she didn't really care.

Teresa sighed in thought, "Well, he does have quite the lovely little posterior."

Dani's eyes widened as she shook, "Ew! Too much information, Teresa. Too much information! For crying out loud this is _Charlie_ we are talking about. I can't know that!"

"But it's true." Teresa replied innocently.

"Sure..." Dani said, "I'll see you at school."

"Okay." Teresa said, "Bye."

"Bye." Dani replied as she hung up, "Ew!" She said to herself, "Gross?"

Dean whistled shrilly to get Dani's attention, "Charlie? As in Charlie Conway?" Dani nodded, "What's so gross?"

"His girlfriend was talking about his 'lovely little posterior'." Dean gagged slightly, "Her words, not mine!"


	15. Meetings

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

**AznIntegra-** Poor Dani is right. After learning something like that about Dave, there was no way that she wouldn't have dumped him. I'm glad that you liked it. Dani still has to deal with a few things before she can buck up the courage to talk to Adam, much less get back together with him. I don't know when they'll get back together, so I hope that you won't mind waiting. Thanks!

**CrazzyAngel108-** Yay! I made your week. I like doing that. I'm happy that you liked Dave's story. It's really not that uncommon actually, which is both sickening and irritating. Even if I could tell you when Dani and Adam get back together, I wouldn't, so no worries about that. It may be more or less then your estimations. Thanks for reviewing!

**sphinx005-** Yes, Dave is married and Dani had to find out the hard way... Although, I don't think that there is an easy way to find something like that out. I know what your fiance means, I like South Park too. The Portman's are a good family, her brother's might have somthing more to say, but the know how much it hurt her so they won't too much, and her parents won't do anything like that. I'm glad that you like Charlie and Teresa, I was hoping that people would. It's okay that you didn't review sooner, I've been having some computer troubles myself. Thanks for the review!

Many, many big THANKS to pitaqueen, SilverRain1.3, and Sweet-Romantic!

-(-)-

-Chicago, Illinois-

The alarm clock rang throughout Dean's room as it flashed from 6:59 am to 7:00 am. He slammed the 'off' button and shot out of bed, immediately rustling through his dresser to find clothes. Normally he wouldn't have woken up as early as he did, but the night before he and Dani had promised to wake up and leave the house by 7:30. Not for a return to school, but a much more important reason.

Dean found clothes, changed, and made it in and out of the bathroom in less then 10 minutes. It wasn't really a huge feat for a guy to be that fast, but normally he took his merry time. This wasn't the time for that. He carried his shoes and socks downstairs and when he reached the kitchen, he saw that Dani was up and was picking at eggs and toast while barely taking a sip of the orange juice that she had poured for herself.

"Hey, little lady." Dean said as he walked in, "You okay?" He asked as he sat down and started putting on his socks and shoes.

Dani shook her head, "No. But, then again, did you have to ask?"

"Thinking about Brynna-Jane?" Dean asked. Dani cringed at the name and nodded so minutely that if Dean hadn't looked closely, he wouldn't have seen it, "Why worry about her? What's done is done."

"Why worry about her?" Dani asked, shocked and amazed and slightly disgusted that her brother would even fathom the possibility, "Dean, BJ is an evil, psychotic little bitch and you don't want me to worry about her? Look what she's done!"

"I know, I know." Dean replied, "She had no right to pull anything like she did." Dani sighed and Dean knew that it was best to stop the conversation and just get going, "How about you finish up while I get something and then we can go." Dani nodded and started actually eating her food while Dean made himself some breakfast tacos that his father had made for breakfast the day before.

The two ate in relative silence and, when they were done, they made their way out to the car. Dean gladly took the driver's seat, knowing that Dani didn't feel up to driving, and they soon were off. They were only going about 10 minutes away, but the trip seemed so much longer because of the silence.

"Here we are." Dani said after what seemed like forever as Dean pulled onto a street. A row of small houses lined one side of the street while apartment buildings lined the other side. The smallest of the houses was near the middle of the street and as soon as he reached it, Dean turned into it's driveway.

Both sighing heavily, Dani and Dean stepped out of the car and made their way to the front door. Dean knocked and they waited until the door opened, "Bout time, you two." The tall, blonde haired, green eyed young man in front of them said as he leaned in the door way.

"Very funny, man." Dean replied as he and the young man embraced as if they were long lost brothers, "Can we come in, or what?"

"Of course."

Dean walked in and Dani walked up to the young man and gave him a huge hug, "Max." She said in a whisper as she hugged him, tears close to falling out of her eyes.

Max pulled back and chuckled, "Come on, Dan, don't cry."

"But she's evil." Dani mumbled, wiping the tears away from her eyes, "After what she did to you..." Max nodded as he let Dani in and closed the door behind her, "Nice house." She said, changing the subject.

"Yeah." Max replied, "I had a fair amount of money saved up from working and mom left me a lot when she died and she made sure that no one but me could get a hold of it- particularly Sir."

"Bet that pissed him and Amanda off." Dean joked.

"Yup." Max said with a chuckle, "Anyway, your parents and Cami forced me to take some cash and said that I could pay them back later. I have no idea when that's going to be, honestly, but I'll figure something out." Dean and Dani nodded, but didn't say anything. Max looked at his watch and sighed, "Do you guys want anything?"

"No thanks." They replied.

"We ate at home." Dani elaborated.

A small crying came from above and Max sighed, "I'll be right back." He said as he made his way out of the room. Dean and Dani knew exactly why he was leaving; his 3 and a half month old daughter Jaylyn was waking up, though she had probably only been asleep for about an hour.

A little less then a year before, Max had broken up with his girlfriend BJ after months of her using him. Then she up and left Chicago with no warning. She returned 7 months later heavily pregnant and claiming that he was the father. BJ, however, had had a reputation that could make most 'working girls' blush and Max- and practically everybody else the knew of the whole ordeal- wasn't sure. However, when she had the baby, Max was proven to be the father and he swore to be a good one. Over the course of a month BJ and Max constantly fought, often with her claiming that she would have stayed away if he hadn't gotten her 'knocked up', and Max couldn't stand living with her anymore.

The last the Dean and Dani had heard, Max and BJ hired attorneys for a custody case, but BJ never showed up to the hearing. Her attorney put the case on hold for as long as he could, but after a while the judge got fed up and gave Max sole custody and took away all of BJ's possible visitation rights while simultaneously ordering a warrant for her arrest. No one had seen her since.

Max soon reentered the room with a small lilac clad baby in his arms. Poor Jaylyn was stuck in the middle of all of this and Dani knew that Max was horribly sorry about that. Jaylyn shifted and stared at Dean and Dani with interest. They noticed that her ferociously green eyes were the same shade as her father's and her hair was curly like his, but it was also dark chocolate brown -even darker then Dean and Dani's- almost exactly like BJ's.

"How come we never got any pictures?" Dean asked as Dani motioned that she wanted to hold Jaylyn.

"I don't know." Max replied, "Too much to do, I guess." He added as he handed his daughter over to Dani. Dean nodded in understanding, as did Dani, but she was too enveloped in the little girl in her arms, "Thank God for on-line classes and understanding bosses."

Dani smiled uncomfortably as Jaylyn reached up and grabbed her hair, "Why do babies always grab hair?" She asked as she pulled the tightly clenched fist out of her hair.

"Who knows?" Max replied, "She's never really seen dark hair before. Around three months, they start to notice more and she's never met anyone with brown hair."

"Besides herself, you mean?" Dani asked.

"She can't see her hair." Max replied. Dani nodded in agreement, "I haven't really left the house much since the case was closed what with taking care of her and classes on-line, she only sees me."

"True." Dean said, nodding in his sister's direction, "Question."

"Answer." Max said.

"What's her middle name." Dean asked.

"Corinna." Max replied, "Apparently BJ didn't want to put too much thought into her child's name so she looked on a baby name website and picked out the first two girls names that she found. Also apparently, she found out she was going to have a girl because she didn't want to go through the trouble of picking out girl and boy names."

Dani sighed, "Vindictive crack-whore." She mumbled, though she couldn't help but remember that Adam's mother's name was Corrine... Interesting coincidence. Dean and Max chuckled nervously and looked aghast between Dani and Jaylyn, "What? She doesn't know what I'm saying."

"Dani, according to Cami my first word was shit because Sir said it so much." Max replied, "Don't let my daughter absorb that kind of language. I don't want to be a dad like he was." Dani nodded, "Thank you."

"She shouldn't have lied to you about being on the pill, though." Dani said.

Max sighed, "Yeah, I know. But she did and even though I was wearing a rubber, it doesn't change what happened. Nothing is ever 100 percent."

"I know." Dani replied, handing Jaylyn back to her father, "And life just wants to screw with us all once and a while."

"As long as I never have any nieces or nephews from _Dave_," Dean said, his voice dripping bitterly as the name passed through his lips, "then I am a-okay." Max nodded, having not liked Dave as much as the Portman's, Keoni, and Dani's best friends.

"Jeez, Dean. He's already married, do you have to rub it in?" Dani asked.

"Married?" Max asked in shock, "What do you mean? What happened that I missed?" Dani chuckled, knowing that she wasn't going to live this down anytime soon, and began relaying the story with several irritating interludes from Dean. Soon after the story began, however, they were momentarily stopped by Jaylyn crying for food. As soon as she got what she wanted, Dani continued with the story, which very much amused her friend.

-(-)-

-Boston, Massachusetts-

The week was nearly over, but Charlie wished it wasn't. He had been extremely thankful for the time that he had gotten with Teresa while not having to worry about classes and he didn't want to give that up. That, however, was not an option so he decided to not mope over it. He thought over the idea while sipping a strangely satisfying green tea soda that Teresa had suggested he try while they were at the same coffee house that he had found her when he introduced her to Kennedy, Deirdre, Nick, and his dad.

A snapping in Charlie's ear brought him out of his thoughts, "Hey? Why are you staring into space."

Charlie looked up, smiling, "I was thinking about you." He said in all seriousness, but the way that he said it made it sound like he was just trying to joke around.

"Really?" Teresa asked, sitting down and taking a sip of her own green tea soda, "That's really sweet." Charlie shrugged, placed one arm on the back of the couch he was sitting on, and plastered a cherub-like expression on his face, "Oh, that's cute."

"I like to think so." Charlie replied with as chuckle as he leaned over to kiss her. Teresa smiled and met him halfway in the kiss. Almost simultaneously, they put their drinks down and he placed the hand that wasn't on the back of the couch on her cheek. Both were in blissful oblivion for several moments. That is, until someone cleared their throat.

Teresa looked up with a slightly annoyed look on her face, but it immediately dropped into a look of shock as she indignantly squeaked, "Mom!"

Elizabeth smiled sweetly, "Hi honey. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

Not able to completely believe that her mother had actually asked that question, Teresa just stared at her with her mouth open. Several seconds later a voice answered that was subtly different from Teresa's, "From where we were, it looked like it."

"Lex?" Teresa asked in even more shock, "Jeff?"

"That's us." Jeff replied.

At that uncomfortable moment, Teresa's and Charlie's gigantic sandwiches and massive piles of macaroni salad had been placed on to the counter and their number had been called, "I'm going to get that." Charlie replied in a low voice, not sure exactly how he felt about Teresa's family showing up out of the blue. She had told him wonderful things about all of them, except for her dad -whom she rarely spoke of, if at all- and he had wanted to meet them. Just not all at the same time and on a date.

As Charlie left, Teresa faced her mother and siblings and sighed, "Could you please not do this?" She asked.

"Why whatever do you mean?" Lex joked. Teresa shot her a look that was reminiscent of something that Dani do and Lex dropped all the joking, "Seriously, sis, if you can call this guy your boyfriend -which you do- then we should be able to meet him."

"Not all together and not when we are on a date." Teresa said bitterly. She sighed and placed her head in her hands, something that none of them had expected.

"Teresa?" Lex asked, "Look, we didn't want to..." She trailed off, not knowing what exactly to say.

Sighing, Teresa said, "Guys, contrary to popular belief, I do not plan on becoming a nun. I like Charlie a lot and you three just barging in here is not going to help me with anything."

"Teresa, we just wanted to meet him." Elizabeth said with a softness in her voice. As shocked and upset as she was by her daughter's reaction, she didn't want to make any trouble.

"Well, what can I do for you?" Charlie asked as he returned and placed their food on the table, "And you can sit, you don't have to stand." He added as he pointed to the chairs around the couch.

"Thank you." Elizabeth said as she sat, followed by her eldest daughter and stepson, "So, Teresa tells me that you're from Minneapolis." Charlie nodded, "How did you come to be in Boston?"

"Hockey scholarship at BC." Charlie replied. He noticed that Jeff squirmed a bit, "Are you okay?"

"Kind of." Jeff said, "My dad forced me to play hockey when I was a kid... It didn't end well. Bad memories." Charlie nodded, "I watch it, but if I ever have to play again, I'm going to cry."

"You don't seem like the crying kind of person." Charlie replied.

Jeff shook his head, "I'm not. That's how bad that experience was."

"That's basically his way of saying more power to you for being able to play." Lex said as she crossed her legs. Jeff nodded.

"Thanks." Charlie replied.

For several hours Charlie talked with Teresa's family and he had to roll his eyes at himself for being so worried about meeting them. They were curious about him, but polite when they asked him questions, and they seemed genuinely interested in what he had to say -particularly when it came to his family. He was much calmer when he got to know them, but he noticed that Teresa had to kick her sister in the shins once or twice because of where she was taking the conversation. That didn't matter, though. He had known plenty of people who were as free-spirited as Lex and, in all honesty, it took a lot to shock him nowadays. In fact, the only thing that did shock him in the conversation was that Teresa had never learned to ice skate. He would have to inform Dani.


	16. Back In Boston

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

**AznIntegra-** Charlie is a nice guy, so pretty much any girl that dates is lucky. Teresa is more then happy to fill that girlfriend position for him, as he is to fill her boyfriend position. She really does need a guy that can appreciate her and not her money and Charlie does just that. Adam and Dani getting back together will have to wait for a little while longer, both of them have things to come to terms with before getting back together. Thanks!

**leo-red-** Yes, everything is so-far-so-good for Charlie and Teresa's family. Her father, however, will be a vastly different story. Adam and Dani are coming up, but I'm going to wait a little bit for them. Thank you very much and I hope that you like what is going to happen next.

Many thanks to Bad Best Friend and Sweet-Romantic!

-(-)-

-Boston, Massachusetts: The Home of Elizabeth Collins-

Teresa smiled and pat the head of the stuffed monkey that Charlie has just given her as she placed the monkey on dresser in the room that she slept in at her mother's house. She had informed Charlie of her deep love of monkeys the day before and he, in turn, bought her the stuffed monkey. He had also taken to calling her 'Monkey', which she didn't mind in the least.

"Aw! It's cute!" A voice said as Teresa turned, "Did Charlie get that for you?" Teresa nodded, "Aw! I like him."

"I know you do, Lex." Teresa replied, knowing that she was talking about Charlie, not the monkey.

Lex nodded as she leaned against Teresa's door frame and ate a bowl of ice cream, "Mom and Jeff like him, too." Teresa smiled, "You are more into this guy then I thought, and he's totally into you."

"I'm glad you think so." Teresa said as she looked back to her new monkey. No one she knew would bother to pay enough to attention to such a random bit of information. It was only by chance that she had even mentioned her favorite animal, but Charlie had absorbed it like a sponge and presented her with her monkey the next time that he saw her.

"When did he get you the monkey?" Lex asked as she spooned another bite of ice cream into her mouth.

"A few hours ago." Teresa told her, "I somehow mentioned that I loved monkeys, so he bought me one."

Lex chuckled, "Aw... He's a sweetie." Teresa rolled her eyes. She knew that if she stayed on the subject of the monkey any longer, then all Lex would comment about is how sweet Charlie was or how much she liked him. As Lex has already said those things, Teresa decided to move on.

"Has Jeff managed to get some time from Aimee?" Teresa asked, exceptionally interested in the answer. Ever since Jeff had confided in them and their mother, they wanted nothing more then to see him happy with Aimee. Not only that, but they knew Aimee very well and they knew that she had been happiest with Jeff. She hadn't dated since he broke up with her and they knew that she was looking for someone like Jeff.

Shaking her head, Lex replied, "Unfortunately not. According to Jeff, she refuses to talk to him or give him the time of day."

"Are we talking about my love life?" A voice asked, causing Lex to jump. Jeff's head poked out over Lex's with a small frown on his face. It was clear that he was upset and wanted nothing more then to make things right with Aimee.

"Poor Bubbles." Lex said as she reached up and patted Jeff on the head.

"Lex, somehow I don't think that a childhood nickname that he hated and patting him on the head like a dog will help." Teresa replied as she walked over to Jeff and gave him a hug, "You know you screwed up. How much do you want to make it better."

"You have no idea." Jeff said.

Teresa thought for a moment, "I think I have an idea." Jeff perked up, "That is, however, if you are will to risk everything by pissing off dad to the nth degree." Teresa had to laugh as Jeff nodded with rigor. She feared that he might literally lose his head if he didn't slow down, "Okay, okay! You basically run half of the company already," Jeff nodded once, "so you can take at least one of the projects that you are working on and talk to Lucian Walsh about some inter-company cooperation. Both companies get recognition and money from it and you get to be closer to Aimee."

The thought made Jeff smile, but Lex brought his happiness to a screeching halt, "But what if Lucian doesn't want to do it. He might have to deal with dad at some point and he might not want Jeff near Aimee."

"Some things are worth the risk." Teresa told them both, "Is Aimee?" She asked to Jeff, her eyebrow raised expectantly.

**-Boston: Top Floor Penthouse-**

Charlie lounged on the couch in the penthouse that he, Jesse, and Adam were borrowing from Mr. Li. The phone was up to his ear as his mother and future little sister were gabbing his brain into instant oatmeal, "Oh, and did I tell you want happened in Choir?" Myrka asked.

Charlie smiled, it had to be good; Myrka was one of the best singers that he knew. How she managed to hit some of the notes that she did, he would never know. Then again, he listened to music, he didn't sing it, "What? Did you get yet _another_ Soprano solo?"

"Ha ha." Myrka replied, though Charlie was sure that she was turning slightly pink, "As a matter of fact, I did. Then Natasha got all pissed off because she thought that she deserved it. I mean, hello! Everyone knows that Mr. Newel doesn't care if you're a senior or not, he's going to pick who he thinks is best."

"Which is usually you." Charlie quipped back.

Casey, who was talking to Charlie on another phone, said, "Yes, it is and we are very proud of your sister for that."

"I am too!" Charlie said.

"I know you are, dear." Casey replied, "I'm not implying that you aren't." Myrka agreed before Casey went on, "How's school going. We haven't talked in a while."

Charlie shrugged even though he knew that his mom and Myrka couldn't see him, "It's fine. You know what school is like, a few of the classes are easy and some are hard. But nothing I can't handle. Hockey's great, so that helps."

"That's good." Myrka said, "Have you seen Dani yet?"

Charlie was taken aback, "What?" He asked. The pieces fit together in his head without an explanation, "You knew that Dani was coming to BC!" Myrka made an innocent sound that Charlie didn't buy for a second, "After everything with her and Adam and you didn't tell me that she was coming to the same school as us?"

"Charlie, don't yell at your sister." Casey said, hoping to avoid an argument between the two teenagers.

"I'm not yelling at her!" Charlie exclaimed to his mother, "How did you know?" He asked Myrka."

"Dani told me." Myrka replied, "I've been keeping in touch with her and Leah. She told me where they were going before I found out about you and Adam and Jesse were going to BC. I just conveniently forgot to mention it to Adam when he told me that he was going there with you and Jesse."

Sighing heavily in amazement, Charlie thought hard to say something, "You're evil, you know."

"Meh..." Myrka replied.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me."

"What was the point, you were going to find out sooner or later." Myrka said, "Besides, it's not like I kept the secrets of the universe from you and I wasn't my place to tell anyway." Charlie tried to think of something witty and snappy to sat back to her, but he couldn't. She had him in a corner of real world logic and he didn't enjoy it.

"She's got you there, honey." Casey said.

Charlie sighed and rolled his eyes, "Whatever." He could tell that Myrka was suppressing a giggle, "Anyway, since you're both on the phone, I guess I should tell you now."

"What?" Myrka and Casey asked at the same time, clearly perking up.

"Well..." Charlie replied, slightly embarrassed and hesitant, "I kind of met somebody here in Boston..." Immediately, Charlie pulled the phone away from his ears. The squeals from both Myrka and his mother could have caused his ears to bleed had he been in the same room with them. The bombarded him with questions about her, but he couldn't make out the questions that they were asking him due to the speed and rate at which they were asking.

Mumbles came from behind Charlie. He turned to see Jesse and Adam staring at him from the hallway, "What the heck?" Jesse asked, "Is somebody dying?"

Charlie shook his head, "I just told Myrka and mom about Teresa." Adam and Jesse chuckled, "Shut up, guys. You know that they'd kill me if I wait too long before telling them."

"Yeah, true." Adam replied, "But ask them to keep it down, I could hear them in my room and I have stuff to finish."

"Of course, oh master of the universe." Charlie replied sarcastically, "By the way, it's completely obvious by your moping that you put the moves on Dani." Adam gaped, taken aback by Charlie's outburst. He couldn't think of what to do, so he stalked out of the front door, forgetting all about whatever he had to do.

"Man, he's got it bad!" Jesse exclaimed as he walked into the kitchen.

Sighing, Charlie turned his attention back to the phone. The squealing and questions had stopped, but both on the other end were trying to get his attention, "Okay, okay, I can hear you." He replied, "Her name is Teresa, she's my age, and she's from Boston. I can't give you anything other then that."

"Why not." Myrka whined.

"Because I decided that I wanted to be a pain in the butt." Charlie replied in all seriousness, "Relax mom, I'll tell you more later." He added quickly, noticing that his mother was getting irritated.

"Promise?" Casey asked, "Because I might have to do a little bit of digging if you don't."

"That's not going to be necessary, mom." Charlie replied, "But I've got to go." Myrka pouted and his mother tried to protest, but he had a test to study for, "No really, I have got to go."

**-Boston: Boston College Campus-**

There was no rhyme or reason to why Adam found himself on the very spot on which he had stood when he saw Dani again after so long. He hadn't even planned on coming here -or anywhere, honesty. His feet had made him come for reasons unknown to him. Just thinking about Dani made him simultaneously regret what he had done and wish that he could do it again. What gall did Charlie have to bring up anything that involved Dani? Just because he had asked for quiet was no reason to pull such a low blow.

But, then again, Charlie was right. Ever since Dani had pushed him away, he had been moping around. All he had wanted since she broke up with him was for her to explain that it was all just a misunderstanding and then they could move on together... Even in his head he sounded like a stalker and he knew it. Given that Dani had already had to deal with one of those, he choose to never say what he thought. Not that he didn't want to speak to her, just not like a lunatic.

As if his prayers and fears were answered, Adam looked up and saw Dani brushing her hair out of her face as she exited her dorm. She didn't see him, she was too preoccupied with zipping up her jacket. The sight reminded him that he wasn't wearing one of his own and that it was about 35 degrees. Adam rolled his eyes at his own stupidity as Dani finally noticed him. She smiled and waved, he waved back.

Neither one of them knew what else to do, but Adam did know that he wanted to apologize for putting her in the position that he had. He walked towards her, she did the same, and with a smile he said, "Hi..."

"Hey." Dani replied, somewhat awkwardly, "Good break?" Adam nodded, "That's good. Um... Teresa called me while I was at home and she apologized for leaving my earrings at your place. I think she should have apologized to you."

"What for?" Adam asked.

"For making you bring them to me." Dani replied, "I'm sure that you have better things to do then bring me back my jewelry when she leaves it somewhere... Although the story about why she left them was interesting."

Adam chuckled, "Do I want to know?" He asked, lowering the tension in the air.

Dani shrugged, "I don't know. Let's just say that it involves a flour fight and browning making and... stuff."

"What are she and Charlie doing when no one is around?" Adam asked, more to the air around them then to Dani.

"My thoughts exactly." Dani replied, making Adam smile, "However, the more I thought about it, the more I decided that I didn't want to know." Adam nodded, but the tension that had just been lowered was beginning to build again.

A long silence passed between the two. They shifted and tried to look in any other direction besides the direction of the other, while still trying to maintain their manners. Adam finally remembered why he had walked over to her in the first place, "Dani..." He started timidly, "I just wanted to... Well... I wanted to apologize."

"For?" Dani asked.

"For... What happened before you left." Adam replied, "I honestly had no intention of doing what I did, it just happened." Dani was completely floored and had no idea what to say, "I'm so sorry and I want you to know that it will never happen again."

Dani nodded, "Oh... Thanks." She replied, "I appreciate that." Adam nodded, "But, I knew that already. You're not the type of person to take advantage of someone. It's okay, but thanks for the apology."

"No problem." Adam replied, "I'm just glad that you know that."

"Why wouldn't I?" Dani asked, "I've always known you're a great guy."

Smiling, Adam said, "Well, that's good to know." Now that the apologies were out of the way, the tension that was still around them was beginning to make Adam queasy, "Um... I should be going."

"Right." Dani replied uncomfortably, "Well, I should to. I have a lot of unpacking to do before Teresa gets back."

"So I'll see you around."

Nodding, Dani replied, "Count on it." With that, Adam took off. As he did so, Dani smacked herself on the forehead, "What the hell? Idiot!" She scolded herself. Sighting heavily, Dani stalked back into her room and flopped face down on her bed.


	17. Present and Past

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

**AznIntegra-** Dani will hopefully come around sooner or later, but she's still as stubborn as ever so we never know. What do Adam and Dani need to get over before getting together? Well, Dani needs to get over her guilt of breaking up with him in the first place and Adam needs to get over the fear that she'll slap him and leave him in the dust. So much drama. Anyway, I'm glad that you think that Charlie and Teresa are cute. They meld so well! Thanks! ♥

**SilverRain1.3-** Yes, an update. Myrka is 15. Thank you!

Thanks very much to Jas120, Sweet-Romantic, and TheHollister!

-(-)-

-Boston, Massachusetts-

Most people thought him too business focused to realize what was going on around him, particularly his children. But Thomas Adair wasn't a complete imbecile; he was perfectly aware of what his children didn't want him to know. Jefferson was trying with all his might to rekindle his relationship with Aimee Walsh and Teresa had gotten herself in a relationship with a boy that she hardly knew.

Thomas had huge objections to both of his children's decisions. Aimee Walsh was competition and Jefferson was putting the company that Thomas had built from the ground up at risk by pursuing her and that Thomas couldn't allow. Teresa's choice was just as bad for different reasons. Thomas didn't know anything about this Charlie Conway other then his name and his love for hockey and the only reason he knew that was because he had eyes everywhere. Thomas had never liked not knowing things, it made him feel naked.

A knock came on the door and Thomas straightened himself up in his chair before beckoning the person in. As he was straightening his tie, a women about 30 entered. She was tall and delicate looking with straight light brown hair and a trusting face... That's was Thomas liked about her. She was willing to be part of his schemes and she even made up a few herself. But even better then that was she tended to lure people into a false sense of security with her innocent charms and delicacy.

"Ah, Georgiana." He said with a smile, "What can I do for you?"

"Actually, Mr. Adair, it's what I did for you." Georgiana said with a smirk on her face.

Thomas leaned forward, intrigued, and placed his elbows on the desk, "And what, please explain, is that?"

Georgiana smirked and pulled a manila folder out of the bag that was slung over her shoulder, "The boy, Charlie Conway, that your daughter is dating," Thomas visibly shuttered, "I took the liberty to look him up for you. Get the inside dirt on him, if you will."

"I'm listening." Thomas replied, resting his chin on his hands.

Flipping though the folder, Georgiana read, "Charles Lucas Conway, born to Casey Conway and Marcus Barker in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For some reason, she gave him her maiden name as his last name. When he was about four years old, his mother took him and left. His parents were about a year before he was born, but the relationship was rocky and divorce petitions were filed and dropped 3 times before she actually left for good." Georgiana tried hard to suppress a smile when she saw a look to complete disgust that crossed Thomas' face. He didn't approve of not being able to make up ones mind, "She got remarried about five years ago and got divorced about two years ago. She and her ex-husband, Jakob Talbot, had a daughter but he's in jail in Mississippi for countless criminal acts and she has full custody."

"She married a criminal." Thomas scoffed, "She's got such a great sense of personality." Georgiana chuckled, "Oh, I'm sorry, please continue."

Georgiana smiled cordially and continued, "Apparently she's going to get remarried next summer," Thomas' eyes widened, "to Gordon Bombay, Charlie's peewee hockey coach."

"Good god..." Thomas mumbled, "What is wrong with this woman?" Georgiana shrugged innocently, "With all the change in his life, the boy is probably a mental wreak; another reason to get him away from Teresa." Georgiana nodded in agreement, "What is her employment?"

Georgiana looked back in the folder for a moment, "Until two years ago she worked at Mickey's Diner in St. Paul. She quit after she gave birth to her daughter and has since then gone back to school for..." She flipped over the page, "accounting."

"I can not believe that Teresa would stoup this low." Thomas complained, "The man that this boy's mother is going to marry, what does he do?"

"He was a lawyer for a long time before he got arrested on a DUI. He had to serve community service and that's how he came to coach peewee." Thomas chuckled in disbelief, "He played hockey in the minor leagues, but that was derailed by a knee injury. Then he coached the same team again at the Junior Goodwill Games and they, in turn, offered him a position there. He took it and lived in L.A. for only a couple of months before they moved him to Chicago, where he also started freelancing as a lawyer again. Then he moved back to Minnesota where he continues to freelance, to a lesser degree, and work with the JGG."

"Charming." Thomas said as he stood and took the folder from her hands, "Thank you, Georgiana." He placed the folder on his desk and began a ritual that he had started only about six months ago, and Georgiana was more then happy to comply. Every time that she brought something to him at home, they would disregard it for the time being and began more pleasurable activities.

Thomas placed his hands on Georgiana's face and began kissing her. Georgiana was compliant and ran her hands down his front, unbuttoning his shirt as she did so. The two were not worried about anyone but themselves. That is, until the door to Thomas' office opened, causing to two to pull apart.

"Don't mind me." Jeff said bitterly as he marched up to the table several feet away from his father's desk and poured himself a shot of the scotch that his father always kept around, "It's not like I didn't know you two are sleeping together." He added as he drank the shot in one gulp. He looked over to his father's desk and saw the manila folder with "Charles Conway" on the tab.

As Jeff shot his head back up, so that his father didn't know he had been looking, Thomas replied, "Jefferson, I don't have anything to explain to you."

"And I don't want you to." Jeff replied chipperly, "I don't need all the details."

Georgiana sighed heavily, "Is there a reason you came in here?"

Jeff chuckled; he rather enjoyed pissing her off, "I lived here for 20 years." He said patronizingly, "But that's not why I came. I just wanted to inform my father that the business plans with Lucian Walsh are going better then expected." Jeff smiled to himself as his father conspicuously cringed.

It was clear that Georgiana wasn't happy with Jeff, but then again she never was. Taking matters into her own hands, Georgiana pulled Thomas' face towards her and kissed him seductively on the lips. Jeff felt himself gag, but took his chance to grab the manila folder and stuff it in his jacket.

"Well, you do that." Jeff managed to say as the two pulled apart, "I'm going to go now." He practically ran out of his father's office and almost ran into one of the many staff members that his father employed, "Sorry Nigel." Jeff said as he scattered passed the older man. Once he was out of the way of anyone who would talk to his father, Jeff pulled out the manila folder, "He's looking up Charlie... Teresa is going to flip when she finds out."

-(-)-

-Eden Hall Academy-

Myrka watched from the doorway of the Choir room as her best friend played their holiday concert music on the keyboard. Emmett had been the first to befriend her when she moved it Minnesota and they soon found out that they had a lot in common. Both of them loved to sing and enjoyed musical theatre and, no, Emmett wasn't gay.

That was also a bit of a problem. Myrka had always prided herself on being cautious and reserved, a product of her childhood, and now all she wanted was to bust out and be spontaneous. Yeah... Like that was ever going to happen. She didn't want to risk her friendship with Emmett but he was _so _amazingly gorgeous. He had dark chocolate brown hair, bright blue eyes, and a thin physique that he maintained with his dancing and track. All of those traits, plus several others, made both women and men alike swoon.

"Hey stranger." Myrka said, causing Emmett to stop and turn. He flashed her one of his amazing legendary smiles, "I heard something about you."

Emmett's smile dropped slightly, "Good or bad?" Myrka shrugged slightly, telling him it was bad, "Oh, God, what now?" He asked, his smile dropping completely.

Sighing heavily, Myrka walked over to him and said, with a look of disdain on her face, "Please, please_, please_ tell me that you aren't going out with Marina Carlson." She heaved a huge sigh of relief when Emmett's jaw dropped in shock, "I'll take that as a no."

"You damn right." Emmett replied, as he shuttered, "I would never sink as low as that. Who told you that I was dating her?" Myrka raised an eyebrow, telling him that he should know the answer to that, "Oh, right... She told you." Myrka nodded, "Great."

Myrka backed away as Emmett stood and sighed again, "I didn't think you were. That tramp never tells the truth anyway. But I just thought that you should know what was going on."

"Thanks, Meerkat." Emmett replied, causing her to chuckle at the nickname he had given her when they met (he said it made it easier to remember her name). He smiled again and said, "Besides, you're my number one girl." He leaned over and hugged her, not noticing that Myrka mouthed 'Oh my god!' as he did so. When Emmett pulled back, he was smiling, and Myrka smiled back, "Hey, don't you have go see your grandfather today?"

Myrka furrowed her eyebrows. Grandfather? Then it dawned on her, "Oh! Lee is Charlie's grandfather, but yeah I do."

Emmett shrugged, "Well, when your dad gets married, he will be your grandfather." Myrka nodded in agreement, "You like him, don't you?"

"Of course." Myrka replied, "He's adorable." She looked down at her watch, "And I need to get going, I'll see you tomorrow." Emmett nodded, gave her another hug, and sat back down at the piano as she walked out.

-(-)-

-St. Paul, Minnesota-

Gordon tottered precariously as he walked to his car from the store that he had just exited. He tottered because in one hand was all of the items that he had just bought and in the other was Avalon. He had offered to take her for the day while Julian and Myrka were at school so that Casey could finish some of her own school work.

As he reached his car, Gordon placed all of his bags on the asphalt and lightly shook Avalon awake. She squirmed and protested as she woke up and he placed her on the ground, "No." She whined. Gordon chuckled and made her stand on her own, "Daddy." She whined again.

Gordon leaned over and kissed her on the forehead as she rubbed her eyes. She bugged out her eyes and pouted, resembling Puss in Boots from Shrek, but Gordon shook his head. That had always been her way of getting what she wanted, but Gordon had learned to control his desire to do what ever she wanted him to when she made that expression. She pouted even harder, but it got her no where.

"Gordon?" A voice asked over his head, causing Gordon to look up. When he did so, his eyes widened. Avalon looked up in confusion and immediately tried to hid behind her father.

"Jack." Gordon replied, looking into the eyes of Jack Reilly. He had never thought that he would ever see Coach Reilly again, especially since the last time that he had seen Jack was when the Ducks beat the Hawks for the peewee hockey state championship so long ago.

Jack chuckled as Gordon stood up, "Well it certainly has been a long time hasn't it?" Gordon couldn't find his voice, so all he did was nod as he picked Avalon up and she clenched her arms around his neck, "How have you been?"

"Good." Gordon replied, managing to speak again.

Furrowing his eyebrows, Jack placed his full attention on Avalon, who quickly looked at him and promptly shoved her face into Gordon's neck again, "Is that one yours, Gordon?" Jack asked, shocked, "I never would have expected it?"

"Yes, she is." Gordon replied, "How have you been?" He asked, wanting to take attention off of Avalon. He could tell that she was uncomfortable and it wasn't surprising to him because she was so shy unless she really knew somebody.

"Good." Jack said, his eyes still on Avalon, "How old is she?"

Rolling his eyes, Gordon replied, "Two." It was clear that Jack didn't want to let go of the subject of the small girl in Gordon's arms, "So..." Gordon said, not really knowing how to continue.

Jack finally realized how uncomfortable Gordon was and, therefore, became uncomfortable himself. However, the two were saved a long stare down when a girl about 15 ran up and called, "Jack! I have to get to practice!" She stared at him with anger in her eyes and a pissed off look on her face.

Gordon raised his eyebrows, "Oh," Jack said, "Right. We'll get there in time."

"Who is he?" The girl asked, pointing at Gordon.

Jack sighed and replied, "Honey, this is Gordon Bombay, an old player of mine." Gordon silently chuckled and internally rolled his eyes, "Gordon, this is my granddaughter..."

"Amberleigh Reilly." She finished, cutting off her grandfather, "Wait a minute... Didn't you coach the Ducks?" Gordon nodded, causing Amberleigh to chuckle, "So the coach of the team that kicked the Hawks butts about 7 years ago was an old Hawk?" She asked Jack.

Jack sighed heavily and then said, "That would be correct."

Amberleigh broke into hysterics, "That's funny!" She said before returning to her serious face, "But, seriously, I need to go."

Jack sighed again and said, "Okay, we're going now."

"Good." Amberleigh replied as she went back to their car.

Gordon raised his eyebrows, "Your granddaughter calls you by your first name?" Jack nodded, "That's... interesting."

"Her mother got her to do it. Jane thinks that it's more polite to call people by their given name or proper title." Gordon raised his eyebrows again, "Like Mr. or Mrs. or a job title. I personally think that Jane is insane and I haven't got a clue why Michael married her."

Gordon nodded, "So what does she do?" Jack looked confused, "She has to get to practice. What does she practice?"

"Cheerleading." Jack replied simply, "It's was good to see you again, Gordon." He added as he walked away.

Gordon chuckled as he puled Avalon away from him, "Don't ever call Grandma by her name or she will lose her mind." He mumbled as he opened the car and placed all the bags in the car, readying to leave.

-(-)-

-Minneapolis, Minnesota-

Lee Conway sat in his living room, reminiscing over the past. In his lap was a photo album that he had had for over 56 years. At 73, the album contained all of his life from his marriage to the present. The first picture took up the entire first page, his wedding picture to his soul mate. At 13 he had met Theodora Gallagher and at 17 they had married.

As he flipped through the pages, Lee noted how happy he and Theodora looked over the years. Though they looked happy, he remembered how miserable they were and how good they were at hiding it. For nearly 15 years they had tried to have children but were never able. No doctor could give them a reason why. Through the strain and pain, he and Theodora stayed together, the rock for the other to rest on.

He turned the page again and smiled. After exactly 14 years and 7 months of marriage, he and Theodora were bless with their one and only child. Casey. She had resembled him in hair and eye color, his tough but loving personality, and his will to succeed; everything else about her, from her nose to her toes, was Theodora. Every time she smiled, it was as if Theodora was smiling. It was the happiest feeling in the world when he got to hold Casey and it was evident in his eyes in the pictures that were taken of them together.

Lee watched Casey grow up before his very eyes all over again as he flipped through the pages. As he reached her teenage years, Lee slowed down and and came to a full stop on her 18th birthday. Most of the pictures were cut to only show Casey because in the background, were he not cut out, would be Marcus Barker. Casey had met him when she was 17, married him when she was 18, and given birth to Charlie when she was 19. She was convinced that her marriage would work because of his and Theodora's relationship, but that hadn't worked out as planned.

As Lee moved on, the number of cut pictures declined as Marc had steadily spent less and less time with his son and wife. Finally after several years and divorce petitions, he was gone all together. Lee remember that day like no other. He and Theodora had retired to bed early that night and they had been woken up at nearly 3 in the morning by the doorbell being incessantly rung.

"_Casey?" _He had asked as he opened the door, seeing Casey with Charlie semi-asleep on her shoulder,_ "What are you doing here?_" Casey hadn't said anything, she just lunged at him and embraced him in a hug, causing Charlie's shoes to dig into Lee's ribs. She had begun rambling, but what he could catch told him that she was sorry about how she had been acting and how much she wanted him to forgive her.

Lee had allowed her in as Theodora walked down the stairs,_ "Casey? What's wrong?_" She had asked, seeing Casey's tear streaked face.

"_I'm going through with it this time."_ Casey replied,_ "I'm divorcing Marc and I'm going through with it." _

"_Honey," _Lee had said, resting his hand on Casey's open shoulder,_ "How times have you said that?" _It wasn't that he hadn't wanted to believe her, but her track record wasn't the greatest.

Casey had known that her parent's wouldn't believe her,_ "Casey, honey," _Theodora had said as she walked down the stairs,_ "We want to believe you, but how can we?"_

Casey then had placed Charlie on the ground, gently waking him up the rest of the way,_ "Honey? Wake up."_ Charlie wriggled around until he saw his grandparents standing behind his mom.

"_Grandma! Grandpa!_" He had shouted excitedly as he ran up to them and hugged on of their legs at the same time. Theodora and Lee had gasped in shock at the bruise on the side of his face.

Once Charlie was asleep in Casey's old room, she told them what had happed. Marc had come home at 2 in the morning drunk and on at least one of the random drugs that he had been experimenting with since Charlie was 2. Casey and he had started arguing, eventually waking up Charlie, who had somehow managed to get between them, though Casey said she wasn't sure how he did. Marc, being so drunk and high, took his anger out on the first thing he could think of, that being Charlie. He then walked out again as Casey held her crying son in her arms. After he was gone, Casey packed hers and Charlie's things and left, ending up at her parent's house.

Since then Casey had never looked back and Lee was glad for that. During the couple of months that Casey and Charlie lived with them, until she raised enough money to rent out an apartment, Lee showed Charlie hockey and fueled his interest. Theodora had died when Charlie was 9 from a stroke, and Charlie was the last person to see her alive. The two had been taking a nap on the couch together and she died in her sleep. The three mourned together after she died and Lee never missed one of Charlie's games, no matter how much they lost by.

Lee was brought back to Earth as, yet again, the door bell rang. He closed the book and walked over to the door. He smiled as he opened the door, "Hello, Myrka."

"Hi Lee." Myrka replied as she entered the house, "How are you?"

"Good." Lee replied, "Where is everyone else?"

Myrka thought for a minute, "Well, mom still has a little work to do, but she should be here soon and dad was taking Avalon for the day and he has to pick up Julian from school before he gets here so he should be here soon as well. I just walked because it isn't far from Eden Hall."

"Okay." Lee replied as Myrka hung her back pack on the coat tree next to the door, "Can I get you anything?"

"I'm okay." Myrka replied as she spotted the photo album, "Hey, can I look at that?" Lee nodded as Myrka bounded into the next room. Just as she did, Casey's car pulled into the driveway.

"Hi dad." Casey said as she entered the house and gave Lee a hug, "What's Myrka looking at?"

"Photo album." Lee replied.

"Hey!" Myrka called, "Why are all of these pictures cut up?" Lee cringed and Casey knew what was happening. Her father had cut Marc out of every picture of her and Charlie that he was in and her mother had burned the cut out portion. She had yet to explain to Gordon, much less Myrka, the reasons behind her divorce in detail and she hoped that this wouldn't be the time.

Just as Casey was about to go and talk to her, Gordon entered with Avalon on his back and Julian in front of him, "Hey everybody!"

"Hi daddy!" Myrka called back as he placed Avalon on the ground and kissed Casey. Lee smiled. After two failed divorces, Lee could tell that this one would work out for Casey. She could finally have the relationship reminiscent of what he and Theodora had had.

"Hello Lee."

"Gordon." Lee replied as he took Avalon from Gordon and kissed her. Avalon giggled and hugged him tightly.

"Hey!" Myrka called again as she got up and came into the group with the photo album, "No one said why all of these pictures are cut up." Lee and Casey sighed heavily, causing Gordon, Myrka, and Julian to look at them in confusion.

"It's a long story." Lee replied.

"Oh...kay." Myrka said staring at the pictures, "How long." Casey sighed and stalked into the kitchen, "Was it something I did?" Myrka asked with a look of shock and confusion on her face.

"Of course not." Lee replied, "I'll go and talk to her."


	18. Halloween Part 1: Teresa

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

**AznIntegra-** I've been trying to update for a while but the last chapter was never intended to exist. I was suppose to go from chapter to 16 to this one, so I wrote a whole chapter without meaning to because the last chapter just popped in my head. That's what's been taking me so long. I'm glad that you don't like Thomas, because you're not suppose to. He's a jerk and that's about that. Teresa and Jeff will have their own problems with him and, yes, this will make it worse. We will just have to see what happens. Thanks!

Thank you to TheHollister and SilverRain1.3!

-(-)-

-Boston, Massachusetts-

It was Halloween, Dani's favorite holiday of the year, but she wasn't enjoying it as much as she normally did. She was sitting in her dorm room, watching Teresa prepare for her family tradition, "So, remind me what you're doing tonight." Dani said.

"Mom and I are handing out candy to the trick-or-treaters." Teresa replied as she adjusted the new necklace that her brother had bought her, "Jeff is going to Lucian Walsh's company party to talk to elaborate on the project plans that he has that would be better off with inter-company cooperation..."

"Don't you mean your plan to get Jeff near Aimee?" Dani asked, remembering what Teresa had told her about Jeff and his former girlfriend.

Teresa smirked, "That doesn't mean that Lucian and Jeff can't work together, though dad wasn't exactly happy when he found out."

"Huh... Go figure." Dani quipped.

Teresa shrugged. She had told Dani about her father's feeling towards anyone he saw as competition, "Yeah, whatever. Anyway, Jeff his coming to mom's for dinner. I don't know what Lex is going to do, but she's coming to dinner afterwards."

"Is Charlie coming too?" Dani asked. Teresa nodded happily, causing Dani to chuckle. She knew what it was like to fall head over heels for someone and she wished Charlie and Teresa the best.

Sighing, Teresa turned and stared at Dani, "What are you doing tonight?"

Dani shrugged, "I don't know, I'll probably just take myself out to dinner or something." Teresa stared at her as if she were asking 'are you kidding me?', "What?"

"That's it?" Teresa asked, "Oh come on! Halloween is one of the best holidays. You've got to have something to do other then sit around the dorm and take yourself out to dinner."

"I do," Dani said, causing Teresa to perk up, "but I can't do it when I'm not home. I normally take Caleb and Felix out trick-or-treating or hand out candy with dad. I don't know what I have to do around here."

"Well, you could..." Teresa began, but Dani held up a hand to stop her.

"I'm sure I'll think of something." Dani replied. Teresa sighed, defeated, and nodded hesitantly, "Now you go hand out candy with your mom."

"Fine." Teresa replied, "But I think that you're being a spoil sport."

"Sure." Dani said with a smirk. Teresa picked up her purse and turned to leave, "Have fun." Dani said. Teresa turned and waved goodbye. As soon as she was gone, Dani flopped on her bed and sighed. She loved Halloween, it was her favorite holiday, but she was too stressed to want to have to deal with anything. Ever since she got back to Boston, Adam had been the one thing prominent in her mind. Leah wasn't helping either, at least Teresa was subtle about her deep yearning for Dani to get back together with Adam.

Dani felt like she had so much that she wanted to explain to him, but she was so scared that he wouldn't let her get it out. Her deepest fear was that Adam hated her. But, then again, she knew that she would hate herself forever if she didn't try to talk to him. What she didn't know was that Teresa was standing outside the door, rolling her eyes. She knew exactly what Dani wanted and she silently willed Dani to do it. She didn't know what else she could do.

-(-)-

Teresa had managed to put Dani in the back if her mind, but it was difficult. She tried with all her might to pay attention to the costumes that she saw. It worked for the most part, but sometimes she found herself drifting back. But whenever that happened, Teresa would will herself back and place a smile on her face.

"That was fun." Elizabeth said as the last trick-or-treater left, "But you didn't seem to have much fun tonight." She said, looking directly at Teresa, "What's wrong?" Teresa shook her head, "Teresa Meaghan Adair, don't lie to me."

Teresa sighed, "Dani is being difficult."

Nodding, Elizabeth realized what was going on, "She and Adam haven't gotten back together?"

"She's not even making the effort!" Teresa exclaimed, "Dani has flat out told me that she is in love with him but she refuses to do anything about it. Then, when I asked what she was doing tonight, she said that would probably take herself to dinner." Elizabeth cringed. She'd taken herself out to dinner before, she knew what that meant, "I've offered to bring her here tonight, but she refused for a week solid. I brought it up again this morning but it was the same answer."

"Honey, Dani will do what she wants to do." Elizabeth said, "If she cares so much about Adam, she figure something out on her own. Maybe it wasn't the best idea for you and Charlie to get involved."

Teresa sighed, her mother made sense, "But then Charlie and I would have never gotten together. You like that that happened."

"That's not true. You and Charlie would have gotten together eventually." Elizabeth replied, "I can see it just by looking at the two of you." Teresa smiled. She loved that her family, minus her father, liked Charlie so much. Charlie was her first boyfriend, mainly because she had always been so nerdy and self-conscious when she was young, and she was glad that he turned out to be such a wonderful guy.

"That's good to know, mom." Teresa said as he looked up at the clock, "Where is everyone?"

"Hi all!" Lex's voice said immediately after Teresa spoke, "Where's the food?"

"Pig much?" Teresa asked under her breath, though it was a joke. Lex was always hungry, it was common knowledge, "So, what have you been up to?"

"Pow-wowing, hanging around, all that jazz." Lex replied, "I would have been here earlier, but I got stopped buy the three brainless wonders who were asking around for where you might be." Teresa shuttered, "I told them to go to hell and then their daddies came around the corner so I couldn't do much else. I pretty much got out of their like a bat out of hell so that I wouldn't have to rip a couple of family jewels off."

Teresa smiled while Elizabeth chuckled, "That's my girl." Elizabeth said as a knock came on the door, "Who is it?"

"It's me." Charlie's voice said through the door. Teresa smiled and practically bounded over to the door to open it, "Hey." Charlie said as he came in.

"Hi." Teresa replied. Charlie leaned in and kissed her momentarily. Teresa had hoped that it would go on longer, but her mother and sister was in the room and neither she nor Charlie wanted to have to deal with that much awkwardness.

Once the door was closed behind Charlie, Lex nearly attacked him, "Hi Charlie." She said, hugging him. Teresa rolled her eyes as she watched her boyfriend almost lose his balance.

"Hi Lex..." Charlie said, "Please don't kill me."

"Alexandra Elyse..." Elizabeth said, prompting Lex to unlatch herself from Charlie.

Charlie raised his eyebrows, "Wait a minute... Your middle name is Elyse?" Lex rolled her eyes, "What's wrong with Elyse? I think it's nice and, personally, I think that it fits you."

Lex shook her head, "No it doesn't. I hate my middle name." Elizabeth raised her eyebrow, "If it wasn't Great-Aunt Elyse's name, I would disown it."

"Lex, you are being such a drama queen." Teresa said, "You've always said that you hate your middle name but you have never given anyone a reason why."

Elizabeth knew that this wasn't going anywhere, so she changed the subject, "Why don't we get ready for dinner." Teresa tried to protest, "Jeff will be here soon, I'm sure. If, and that's a big if, he is going to be late then he will call." Teresa nodded and she lead Charlie into the kitchen where the aroma of Elizabeth's twice baked lobster potatoes, seasoned pork loin, and cheese cake his nose. He looked around the kitchen in awe. He and his mother cooked together, but nothing like this. There was even fruit salad on the table and roasted vegetables staying warm on the stove.

"Wow..." Charlie said, "Is this a feast or what?"

"Whenever we can." Lex said, "Mom likes cooking whatever and whenever she has the time." Charlie nodded, "Besides, it's my grandmother's birthday so we always have a huge meal in her honor... I got my stomach from her."

Charlie nodded, "And by the way that you are honoring her I would say that she passed away."

Elizabeth nodded, "Seven years ago... Complications from gallbladder surgery."

"Oh..." Charlie said, feeling absolutely terrible, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"Charlie, it's fine." Elizabeth replied, "You didn't know. So relax, you didn't do anything wrong." Charlie nodded, but he still felt terrible, "Now, you sit down." Charlie nodded and sat down next to where Teresa sat after she placed a plate filled with the twice baked potatoes on the table.

Under the table, Teresa took Charlie's hand and squeezed, "Don't feel bad. It's been a long time." Charlie nodded again as Lex and Elizabeth placed the other dishes on the table.

Just as the two sat down, the back door flew open, "Oh... Sorry." Jeff said as he quietly closed the door, "Hey, Teresa, can I talk to you for a minute." Teresa motioned for him to talk, "No, I mean in private."

"Jeff, whose here that you can't talk in front of?" Teresa asked. Jeff knew the answer to that question; the kid holding her hand under the table, that's who. Jeff tired to protest, but Teresa gave him a look that told him to just talk.

Squirming, Jeff said, "Fine... We have to tell everyone eventually, anyway." He pulled a manila folder out of the inside of his jacket and dropped it on the table, clear of all the food, "The evil crack-whore from hell looked all of that up for dad." He said as she picked it up and sighed, "I was going to bug him about Lucian Walsh, but she was there so I ended up pissing her off and when neither were watching, I took it."

Teresa sighed and everyone got quiet; they could all see what it was, "Hmm." Charlie said as he picked it up and opened it, "I could have told them that... and that... and that... that... Hey, they missed something. Ha."

"Charlie..." Teresa began.

"Don't..." Charlie replied, "It's not your fault." He looked around the table, "It's none of your faults. You all warned me that he was paranoid and a jerk-off."

Everyone nodded, "But we never expected anything like this." Teresa said.

"Expect the unexpected, right?" Charlie asked. Everyone was quiet as Charlie took the folder and stood. They watched as he walked over to the fire that Elizabeth roaring in the adjoining living room and threw the folder in it. Charlie turned and stalked back to his seat, "So... Let's eat."


	19. Halloween Part 2: Dani

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

**AznIntegra-** Thanks! Charlie is very good at hiding his emotions when he actually tries to. He's not surprised, but he's faking taking it well. He's actually quite pissed off. Yeah, Teresa did warn him about her dad, but that doesn't make him any happier. As for Dani... All in good time. If you slapped her and shook her, she'd probably punch you when she got over the shock. Just a word of warning. Thanks again!

Bad Best Friend- I'm glad you checked back too! Thomas might have something to say about his escapades into Charlie's life, but Charlie isn't one to take things sitting down. As for Dani... You'll see.

Thank you many times over to TheHollister and Jas120! Happy holidays and happy new year to all! And Happy Valentines Day (I am _way _behind but I hope it was worth it)!

-(-)-

-Boston, Massachusetts-

Dani entered her dorm room and shook her coat from her shoulders. She knew that Teresa probably thought that she wouldn't leave their room, but she had. Dani had done what she said she would do and treated herself to dinner at a very low-key deli type of restaurant and then she had come home. Yawning, Dani laid down on her bed. She knew that she shouldn't be tired because it was only 8:00, but all she wanted to do was sleep.

Yet her mind wouldn't let her. Physically Dani was tired, but her brain was working in overdrive. All she could think about was Teresa's term for her... Spoilsport. It was true. Ever since her little run-in with Adam, Dani had refused to do anything besides sit around and mope. Sighing heavily, Dani shot up from her bed, pulled on her jacket, and left the dorm.

Without any notion of where she was going, Dani walked. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Dani realized that this probably not a great idea. For one thing, it was getting dark and Boston (like all major cities) had its share of creepies and perverts. For another, she may have been in Boston for a while, but Dani knew that she could still get lost. But, for some reason, that didn't matter.

As she walked Dani took little notice of what was going on around her. A few choice sounds met her ears and several blurs caught her attention, but that was all. Surprisingly, though, Dani wasn't really thinking about much. It was as if she was a shell, moving just to move. She had no specific place to go and she wasn't enjoying the walk in and of itself... So what was she doing? Nothing dawned on her until she felt her feet slide out from under her.

Dani instinctively placed her hands behind her to catch herself as she fell. As soon as her hand hit the ground, pain shot from her right palm, causing her to cringe. Sighing in pain, Dani raised her hand, "Great." She said. Blood from massively scraping her hand on the concrete was mixed with mud from the puddle that she had slipped on. Lucky for her, however, the mud was only on her hand, shoes, and the right leg of her pants, "That's just brilliant." She mumbled as she stood and wiped off her hand as best she could.

"Dani?" Clenching her uninjured hand, Dani turned and smiled as convincingly as possible, "Are you okay?" Adam asked, shifting a plastic bag from his left hand to his right.

"I'm fine." Dani replied, "Just a little scratch." Adam looked down at her hand and raised his eyes, "What?"

"That's what you call a scratch?" He asked, "Is that Portman stoicism or are you just insane?" Dani sighed and rolled her eyes, "How about you come up to the penthouse and get yourself cleaned up."

Dani tried to think of something to say that would get her out of doing what Adam suggested, but she looked directly at him and their eyes connected, "Sure." Dani said, cursing her terrible self control. Adam smiled and let her inside before him.

They made their way up the building via elevator and Dani attempted to make conversation, "I didn't expect this place to be as close to campus as it is. I mean, this isn't exactly entrepreneur central."

"Mr. Li bought the whole top floor when it was cheap, tiny apartments and built the penthouse. It's not really a penthouse, though... Everyone around just calls it that." Adam replied, "Anyway, after Mr. Li fixed it up, the rest of the neighborhood followed, but mostly it was made into college student-friendly housing."

"Clearly."

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Adam slipped out before Dani, pulling out his key as he did so. Dani followed, watching Adam's profile as he unlocked the penthouse door. She'd admitted to herself before that he was even more attractive then he had been at 16, it would have been stupid to try and convince herself otherwise. He was amazing in so many ways; Dani had to use every bit of self control that she possessed to not shove him against the door and make up for lost time.

Adam knew that Dani was staring at him; he could see her out of the corner of his eye. That was why he hadn't been able to open the door. His hands were shaking and he couldn't get the key in the lock. Taking a deep breath, Adam managed to control his shaking long enough to unlock the door, "Come on in." He said as he slipped inside. It wasn't like him to merely invite a woman in. Normally he held doors open and things like that, but there was something about Dani that made him forget all the mannerisms that he had been taught by his mother.

It hadn't been the best idea for him to invite Dani in because he knew that he was going to have to behave himself (and he really didn't want to), but she had hurt herself and he wanted to help. Dani entered and closed the door behind her. Adam was in the kitchen, already pulling out gauze, peroxide, soap, and medical tape.

"How many injuries did you plan on having when you moved in?" Dani asked with a laugh as she took the soap and gingerly cleaned the mud off of her scraped-up hand.

"Three 18 year old guys living in the same penthouse." Adam replied simply.

Dani chuckled, "Point." She said as she turned and gently dried off her hand with a paper towel. She sat down across from Adam and attempted to fix herself up alone, but it didn't work out to well.

Smiling, Adam said, "Here, let me help." He took her hand in his and gently dabbed her wound with peroxide, causing Dani to cringe, "Sorry."

"It's okay... This is nothing compared to breaking my leg or shoving my arm through a window." Dani chuckled, reminiscently.

"What?" Adam asked in shock, "Did you happen to tell me about that, because I'm sure I would remember."

Dani shrugged, "I don't know, I might have. Two long stories that I don't want to get into right now." Adam shrugged as he places gauze around Dani's hand and tapped it up expertly, "Do this often?"

"I have a very precocious younger sister who I believe is a masochist." Adam replied causing Dani to chuckle and raise her eyebrows, "She gets herself hurt a lot. Don't ask me how."

"Really? Monica has never seemed like a masochist to me." Dani replied.

"Oh, try living with her." Adam said, "Although, I think if you did, she'd be too busy following you around to hurt herself." Dani raised her eyebrows again, "She loves you."

"Well, I think that she's a pretty great kid." Dani replied.

"She is." Adam said, "She's wants to dye magenta streaks in her hair..." Dani gaped, "Yeah... No one really knows why, but Dad about had a coronary when she said she wanted it."

Dani smiled, "Well, if you ever are in Chicago and your parents actually let her, I'll get my Aunt Evey to do it for her." Adam gave her a questioning look, "My Aunt Mickie's girlfriend. I told you about them, remember? Their friends were the one's that agreed that you looked like a good kisser."

"I thought they lived in Philadelphia."

Nodding, Dani replied, "They moved to Chicago right before Dean went back to Eden Hall. Aunt Mickie wanted Samantha to be raised around family and most of their friends were moving to different parts of Pennsylvania for work."

"Who's Samantha?" Adam asked just as a light flickered in his head, "Oh yeah... the surrogate baby who's parents didn't want her because she was a girl so your aunts adopted her."

"Very good, you have a great memory." Dani said with a smile. Adam smiled back, but the feeling was awkward causing both to look down. It was only then that either of them realized that Adam was still holding Dani's bandaged hand. He released it, adding to the discomfort.

As she was looking down, Dani sighed in the realization that she had tracked mud all over, "Oh brilliant." She mumbled, only loud enough for Adam to barely hear.

He looked in the direction of her gaze and nodded, "Well, I can't do anything about your shoes, but you can change into these until you get back to your dorm." He said, pulling a pair of BC sweatpants out of the plastic bag that he had placed down on the chair next to him.

"Thanks." Dani said, taking the pants.

"The bathroom is down the hall, second door to the left." Adam said, "Don't worry about tracking, I'll clean it up."

"Again, thanks." Dani mumbled as she left the room. Adam swallowed hard as he picked up a large towel-like rag and began cleaning up the mud. He thought about what was transpiring. Dani was here, they were alone, a freak occurrence caused her to fall right in front of where he was staying... What was she doing walking around this late anyway? Growing up in Chicago, Dani had to know the dangers of walking around so late at night by herself.

It didn't take Adam long to clean up all of the mud and he had a feeling that Dani was trying to stay in the bathroom as long as possible. She'd been in there much longer then it took to change. Sighing, Adam threw the rag on top of the pile of dirty clothes that was accumulating on the floor of the closet next to the bathroom. That closet had become the unofficial hamper for all of the penthouse occupants. Adam made a mental note to tell Jesse and Charlie that they needed to clean it out or Teresa would scold them again.

Adam couldn't help but laugh at the memory as he walked back to the kitchen. It had been the third time that Charlie had brought her there, but it was the first time that he and Jesse had been with them in the building, and she had been looking for a... Well, actually Adam didn't remember what she was looking for. Anyway, she'd found the pile of dirty clothes and immediately became a mother hen... It had been really funny, but they did what she told them to nonetheless.

Sitting back in the kitchen, Adam heard the bathroom door open. Dani walked in the kitchen with her pants folded in her hands. He looked down and noticed that she had cleaned off her shoes while she was in the bathroom; that was probably why she took so long, particularly if she was doing it one-handed, "Thanks."

"No problem." Adam replied.

Dani shifted uncomfortably, "I think I should be going." She mumbled as she turned and walked away quickly. Adam stood and followed her to the door, "Thanks again." She said, as she moved to open the door.

"Dani!" Adam said quickly just as she was about to leave. Dani turned back to him, "I... Um... You don't have to return the pants when you're done with them."

"Uh... okay." Dani replied as Adam cursed at himself. That, clearly, was not what he had meant to say. Why couldn't he tell her what he wanted to? Why did she have such a strange effect on him?

"So... Enjoy." Adam said, trying to figure out how to get himself out of the hole that he had dug himself into.

Dani nodded, "I will."

The two stood there uncomfortably for a few moments. Dani's hand was on the doorknob, but she couldn't will herself to twist it open. Adam walked forward, getting so close to her that she could hear his ragged breathing. Dani felt her hand clench on the doorknob and release. To hell with self control! Whatever Dani wanted, she went for! That was how she lived her life and she sure as hell wasn't stopping now. With her mind firmly set on what she wanted, Dani closed the small gap in between her and Adam.

Shocked by her move, Adam managed to softly ask, "What are you doing?"

Half sighing, half laughing, Dani just as softly replied, "Making up for lost time." With that, Dani leaned over and kissed Adam. He was shocked, she could tell, but he quickly got over it and reciprocated. Dani dropped her muddy pants to the floor and placed her hands on his neck as Adam gently pushed her against the door with his hands on her waist.

Adam pulled away for a moment, just to be able to look into Dani's eyes. She smiled as she ran her thumb down his jawline, "God, I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too." Adam responded, leaning back in to kiss her as he did so.


	20. Halloween Part 3: The Truth

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

**mdgirl18-** I'm glad that you've been reading and enjoying. I hope that 34 page test went well! Thanks for reviewing even if you should have been studying instead, I appreciate it.

**AznIntegra-** Yes, Dani most certainly packs a punch! She's kick ass like that. HOORAH! They are together again and it is a wonderful thing. It wasn't just Dani who got over their annoying stubbornness, it was Adam too and, honestly, he finds it hilarious that Dani offered her Aunt's services in dying Monica's hair. He's a cool older brother like that. THANKS!

**Tinkerbell821-** I'm trying, I really am! I have so much work do that it is sometimes hard to find the time to write. Graduation is fast approaching and I am trying _really _hard to get to graduation without losing my mind or letting my grades slip and I have musical practice four days a week because not only am I in it, but I'm the student director too. Please don't hate me for leaving you hanging because I don't mean too!

Many big THANKS to Jas120, Sweet-Romantic, SilverConlon, and nilber!

-(-)-

Adam and Dani were blissfully unaware of how much time had passed since they rekindled their relationship. However long it had been, they'd spent the whole time tightly entwined. Some time during it all they'd managed to make their way to a chair in the living room. Dani was on Adam's lap with her legs draped over the arm of the chair and her arms were around his neck. Adam had on arm wrapped around Dani's waist while his other gently ran up and down her legs.

Adam kissed her gently, savoring the feeling of her lips on his as he did so. During the past two years he would have given anything to be in that position and there he was. The one person that he had ever truly been in love with was in his arms again, kissing him again, holding him again. The thought unconsciously made Adam kiss her faster, more passionately. He didn't realizing what he was doing until Dani pulled away and began tracing his lips with her thumb.

"Something on your mind?" Dani asked with a light chuckle and a smile.

"Just you." Adam admitted, kissing her thumb, "It sounds cliché, but I'm scared that I'll wake up and find out that this is just a dream." Dani chuckled, placed her arm back around Adam's neck, and leaned down on his shoulder. Well.. It was really her shoulder that she was leaning on, but she could still manage to kiss his jaw from where she was, "I just want to know something."

Dani snuggled in closer to him, if that was possible, "What?"

Adam gulped, but not audibly. He didn't want to ask what he knew he had to. Staring directly at the wall, trying to forget the amazing feeling of Dani's soft skin on his face, Adam asked, "Why did you leave me?"

This caught Dani off guard. She looked up in shock with fear in her eyes, "What?" She asked, barely above a whisper.

Adam sighed heavily, trying to compose himself. When he managed to do so, he looked back at her. The expression in her eyes was almost too hard to bear, "Why?" He said, no louder then her whisper, "I know you were going back home," His voice was getting louder and more hysterical now. He tightened his grip around her, "but we could have worked something out. Why did you have to... break my heart?"

Those last three words, the words that Adam had to choke out, caused Dani's throat to close and tears to fall down her cheeks. Adam was holding her so tightly, not that it hurt her, but that it kept her where she was, kept her close to him. This was too much for her to handle. She knew that if she had any chance of staying composed, then she would need to get off of Adam's lap.

"Dani, _please_." Adam begged as she squirmed to get away, "I just need to know." He wasn't just hysterical now, he was pained and Dani could hear it.

"Oh my god." Dani whispered, finally able to pull herself from Adam. She loved him but she was hurting him and it killed her. Wrapping her arms around herself, Dani walked across the room and tried to keep herself under control.

Adam could tell that she was hurt and he silently cursed at himself. There had to be a better time to ask! Why had he ruined the moment? He had finally gotten what he wanted and now she was going to walk out, he knew it, "Dani?" Dani didn't answer, she just stood there, "Dani, please talk to me. I just _need _to know." He stood and walked towards her. He reached out to touch Dani's shoulder, but when she felt him getting too close she pulled away.

Shuttering breaths reached Adam's ears and he could tell that she was trying to keep from crying, "Because I am a horrible, horrible person." She said, her voice thick and strained.

"What?" Adam asked in shock, "No you're not, Dani. You are one of the most caring, wonderful people that I've..."

"No I am not." Dani shot back, turning to face him. Her attempts at not crying had not worked, tears stained her face, "I... You really want to know?" Adam nodded. Dani breathed heavily, yet again it came out in shutters, "I... There... I was scared."

"Scared?" Adam asked in shock, "Of what? Me?"

Dani shook her head, "No, not you. Me." Adam was confused, that much was clear by just looking at his face, "I'd been in a couple of really bad relationships before you. Both ended terribly. One of them was a long distance thing, he had to move a few months after we started dating, and when he came home... Let's just say that our twosome became a threesome without me realizing it."

"He started dating someone else?"

"Oh, that was the kicker... He said that we'd been over for months, that I must have just missed the memo."

Adam gaped but was confused, "What does that have to do with us?" Then a conclusion fell on him, "Wait, you don't think that I would have done that to you? Dani, you have to know..."

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no." Dani said quickly, going up to him and looking him in the eyes, "That's not it at all."

"Then _what_?" Adam asked, placing his hands on Dani's upper arms, "What?"

"The situation I was in... I hated it, hated myself for getting into it." Dani said, "I had promised myself that I would _never _get myself into another long distance relationship. I had no intention of meeting someone like you, much less _you_,and I as much as I cared about you... I couldn't handle admitting that I had broken my promise." Adam gazed intently at her, "Besides that, I didn't want us growing apart, seeing other people, forgetting about each other..."

"That would have never happened." Adam said intensely.

"You don't know that." Dani replied harshly though she was still crying, but the expression on her face changed quickly, "But that doesn't mean that I had the right to do what I did to you. I've been so scared these past two years, scared that you hated me."

"Now _that _would not have happened." Adam replied quickly, "I would never hate you. No matter what has happened, what could have happened, I could never hate you." Adam leaned over and laid a gentle kiss on her forehead, "I love you too much." He whispered, his lips barely a millimeter away from where he had kissed her.

"What?" Dani asked, pulling away so that were nearly a foot apart.

Smiling, Adam repeated, "I love you. I have since I was 16."

Though she was caught of guard, Dani walked over to Adam and wrapped her arms around his chest, "I love you, too." She mumbled, "And I am so sorry."

The words made his heart soar. Just knowing that she felt the same made the last two years of pain and confusion worth everything that he had been through. The suffocating feeling that had enveloped the room before was now dissipating. Everything was clear, out in the open. Wrapping his arms around her, Adam replied, "There is nothing to be sorry about. I'm just glad that we're back together... Wait, we are back together, right?" Dani sighed heavily and pulled away, "What? I just want to make sure."

"Of course we are." Dani replied, chuckling. It seemed that her talent of changing moods either had or was quickly rubbing off on Adam, "Do you think I make out with just anybody?"

"Hey, you never know." Adam said, jokingly, "Two years changes people." He and Dani laughed as he leaned over and kissed her. After a few minutes, Adam pulled back, placing his arms to his sides, and said, "I don't have to bend down to kiss you anymore. When did you have a major growth spurt?" He cocked his head back and forth, trying to look at her from different angles.

Dani rolled her eyes, "Just after I got back home. My darling brothers from hell spent most of the summer waking me up at 3 in the morning by pulling me out of bed and screaming 'let's measure Dani!'. Then they'd practically slam me against a wall and measure me." Adam gaped, "These are my brothers remember." Adam nodded hesitantly in agreement. None of her brothers were subtle about much that didn't pertain to their girlfriends, if they had girlfriends, "They've continually done that for the past two years, but we're pretty sure I've stopped... I hope."

"Well, I won't slam you into a wall." Adam replied, "How tall are you, exactly?"

"Six feet even." Dani sighed. So Monica had been right when she remembered how tall Dani had gotten; that meant that Dani was only and inch or so shorter then him. Oh well, who cared? Adam internally smiled at the memory of his sister. She loved Dani so much and he knew that she was going to freak out when he told her and the rest of their family that he and Dani were back together, "I really wasn't expecting to grow so much... I mean, normally girls stop growing at sixteen, but I grew so fast after my..."

Adam stopped her, knowing that she would start ranting, "Well, maybe you were always suppose to be this tall, but your pituitary gland was taking it's time, then it realized you were sixteen and said 'oh crap' and shot you up like a weed."

Dani chuckled, "That's one theory." Adam smiled, "What?"

"Nothing." Adam replied, "I just love the sound of your laugh."

Smiling coyly, Dani said, "Well that's good to know."

Adam re-wrapped his arms around her and said, "As a matter of face, I love everything about you."

Snuggling close to him, wrapping her arms around his waist, and letting her head rest on his shoulder, Dani simply and sweetly replied, "Ditto." They stood there, swaying minutely to a song that only they could hear. Nothing in the world could disrupt their happiness. Adam sighed in contentment, never wanting the moment to end. Dani seemed to read his thoughts and tightened her embrace.

They stood there for a few moments before the clock on the mantle rang. Dani looked up and grimaced. 10:00. Sooner or later, Charlie and Jesse were going to come home and Teresa would be freaking out in their dorm when she found Dani gone. Adam looked at it as well and nodded knowingly, "Grab your stuff, I'll give you a ride back to campus." Dani nodded, glad that she wasn't going to have to walk alone in the dark.

Before Dani knew it they were sitting in his car outside her dorm room. Curses! That had taken a far shorter amount of time then she wanted. Adam was holding her hand and stroking it with his thumb. He leaned over and kissed her; Dani was not going to complain. After several minutes, however, Adam pulled back.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Dani asked.

Adam nodded and Dani was about to get out of the car when last minute thought hit him, "Wait."

"What?" Dani asked, sliding back into the car and out of the chilly October air.

He was smiling and Dani became curious, "Teresa is coming over tomorrow, she and Charlie have a date." Dani nodded. Obviously she knew this, Teresa never stopped talking about Charlie, "Well, come with her." Dani raised and eyebrow, "Come with her and we will surprise everyone with our good news." Dani smiled, this was an idea she could get behind. Show up with Teresa and freak her, Charlie, and Jesse out by kissing Adam out of the blue in front of them? It was perfect!

"You diabolical genius, you." Dani said, making Adam feign innocence, "That wonderful idea deserves a reward."

"Like what?" Adam asked suspiciously. Dani smiled and chuckled before leaning over, taking Adam's face in her hands, and kissing him... And hard! Adam's brain failed to function for several seconds before he realized what was happening. He went along with it until he realized that his brain was no longer receiving oxygen.

Dani, too, was in need of oxygen, but she didn't want to stop kissing Adam. She did, however, pull away from him but flicked his lips seductively with her tongue before she was fully parted from him, "I'll see you tomorrow." She said with a giggle.

"Bye." Adam replied, still in shock, as she got out of the car. The door slammed shut and Dani began running to her dorm. A light went off in Adam's head as he watched her go. He rolled down the window and called, "I love you!"

Dani turned and smiled, "I love you, too." She called back as he rolled up the window and she entered the dorm. Those words... They would never get old.


	21. Surprise!

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

**AznIntegra-** Thanks! Dani rubbed off on Adam years ago, but he has his own devious moments without her and he's super in love with her. What else can I say? Nothing. Anyway, thanks again. Hopefully Adam will have more devious thoughts.

**Tinkerbell821-** Yeah, senior stuff is so not fun. I just can't wait until it is all over. Good luck with your projects and whatnot; I hope they aren't too much hassle. Thanks!

Thank you to mdgirl18, Jas120, BrownEyedDreamr, and Sweet-Romantic!

-(-)-

Leah giggled like an idiot and swayed on the chair of the end of Dani's bed. She knew that she looked like she was on a million different types of drugs, but the news that her best friend had relayed to her made her not care. Dani was staring at her with amusement and indignation in her eyes. This wasn't what she had expected when she told Leah that she and Adam were once again together.

"Le, you having an seizure or a stroke or something?" Leah didn't seem to hear her, she lunged forward squealing, and tightly hugged her friend. Dani was knocked back on her bed, gasping for breath.

"Oh my god, oh my God, OH MY GOD!" Leah squealed when she was finally able to form words.

Dani cringed in pain for two reasons. One, Leah was constricting her ability to breath properly, and two, she had just screamed in Dani's ear, "Leah!" Dani gasped out, "Can't... breathe. Need... Air!" It took Leah about a minute to comprehend what Dani had said. She gasped and jumped back, pulling away from her friend. Dani stayed laying down and took several deep breaths.

"Sorry." Leah apologized sheepishly, "But that's really good news!"

Smiling, Dani nodded and replied, "Yeah, it really is."

Leah chuckled, "If you could see the look on your face... I've never, _ever _seen you with a smile that big." Leah cocked her head to the side and a light emitted from her as if she had just uncovered a massive secret, "You love him that much." She mumbled, "I knew you loved him, but not like this."

"He's..." Dani sighed, "indescribable. I don't know what else to say."

Leah grinned, "So, how long have you been back together?"

"A week." Dani replied, "Since Halloween."

"And I'm the only one that knows, right?" Leah asked pathetically, with an uncharacteristic pout plastered on her face.

"Yeah." Dani sighed, "You are. We were going to freak out Jesse, Charlie, and Teresa the day after but Teresa and Charlie's date ended up falling through, so we never got together to tell them... Don't give me that look, I'd have told you that morning if Charlie and Teresa had gone out."

"Promise?" Leah asked, still pouting.

Dani sighed heavily, "Leah Renee, you have been my best friend since I was five years old. Just because Teresa and I are roomies and friends, doesn't mean that you are less of a friend to me. I love you; you're like the sister I never had."

"Even if Charlie and Teresa didn't go out, why didn't you tell me?"

Sighing again, Dani said, "I just wanted some time to figure everything out. How to tell you, you know. I was thanking my lucky stars that Charlie and Teresa didn't go out that night. I loved the idea of how Adam wanted to tell them and scaring the hell out of them, but I needed a little bit of time for you. They are going out tonight, _that _is why I told you now."

Leah thought for a moment, the pouting decreasing the more she did so. Sighing heavily, Leah nodded and leaned over to gently hug Dani, "I know... I just feel so terrible. We don't spend much time together anymore and it's mostly my fault. With Gunnar and my parents and school." Leah sighed again.

"Le, it's not like that." Dani replied, "We knew that we would both be busy when we got to college. Besides, with skating and the million extra classes I'm taking, the fault is just as much mine." A small smile graced Leah's face, "Now that is what I like to see."

"Okay." Leah said, "Now, there is one thing I need to know." Dani raised her eyebrows in question, "Is Adam still an amazing kisser?"

Snorting with laughter, Dani felt a blush rising in her face. She smiled for a moment and said, "He was so amazing when we were younger that I thought that he couldn't be better. I was wrong."

"So... What's it like?" Leah urged as she and Dani feel into giggly, stereotypical teenage girl persona's. Nothing like their true personalities, but a special show that all girls were allowed to put on at some point or another.

Dani sighed heavily at the memory, "Like... Something so brilliant and fantastic that no words can describe it." Leah giggled again, "Seriously, it's something that you'd have experience to get... Not like that. Don't even think about it, young lady." Dani warned as Leah's eyes grew and glowed. She loved Leah, but there was no way that she was sharing Adam. Leah held up her hands in surrender and motioned for Dani to continue, which the latter happily did, "When he starts off really slow and careful and it builds from there..." She trailed off as the memory waved over her.

"Wow." Leah whispered, "I am so happy for you, Dan. You have no idea."

"Thanks." Dani replied as Leah's watch beeped, "What's up?"

Leah groaned, "Gunnar has a surprise planned for me tonight. You know that I loathe and detest surprises." Dani nodded, "And he knows that too. We've been planning on going out tonight for forever and suddenly, a couple of weeks ago, he says he has a surprise that he's going to give me afterwards."

"Sounds fun." Dani quipped.

"Ha." Leah retorted bitterly.

A thought popped into Dani's head, one that she knew would cause Leah to flip her lid completely, "Hey, maybe he's going to ask you to marry him."

And she was right. Leah's eyes practically popped out of her head and Dani thought she could see her friend's hair standing on end, "Oh no... No-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no. That is out of the question. Gunnar knows that that would not happen, he has to. For crying out loud, I'm 18! There is no way I am ready to get married."

"Jeez, Le, relax. I know that. I just said that to freak you out." Dani said, "I'm sure that that is no where near his thoughts now. Gunnar has his own deal to work out before he gets married as well. Just think, with the NHL and whatever he has going on personally."

Leah sighed, "Don't _ever _do that to me again, Danielle."

"Sorry." Dani mumbled, "You'd better get going." Leah nodded and stood. She took a deep breath to calm herself. Dani chuckled and hugged her goodbye, "Have fun."

"Uh-huh." Leah mumbled, "You too." She added, remembering that Dani was seeing Adam later.

"I'm sure I will." Dani replied. Leah giggled again, but less exuberantly then before. It was clear that what Dani had said about Gunnar was still on her mind, though she was trying to hide it.

The door opened unexpectedly and Teresa came in, still bundled up, "Oh, hey Leah."

"What's up, Teresa?" Leah asked.

"Not much."

Leah smiled, "So how's it going with you and Charlie?"

Nodding, Teresa replied, "Good." Dani rolled her eyes. She hated that Teresa was so shy around Leah. Teresa had come out of her shell so much, but whenever Leah was around she retreated back into it. Dani had a sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with the fact that she and Leah had been so close for so long. Sighing inaudibly, Dani mused. There was no reason not to bring Teresa into the fray and Leah was more then willing. Teresa was just scared.

"That's good to hear." Leah replied, "I gotta get going, so I'll see you two later. Bye Dan."

"See you later, Le." Dani responded as Leah left, "So, what's up with you and Charlie tonight?"

"I'm going over to his place." Teresa said, "I think he bribed Adam and Jesse to leave for a few hours." Dani nodded, "What?" She asked, noticing the look on Dani's face.

"It's nothing." Dani said.

"Dani." Teresa replied, "What?"

Dani squirmed for a moment. This was for two reasons. First, she wasn't quite sure how she was going to manage to get Teresa to take her to the penthouse without arising much suspicion and, second, she wanted Teresa to wonder. That might help her in getting to where she wanted to go, "Well... No, never mind."

"Stop doing that!" Teresa half whined, half sighed, "Seriously, what is it?"

"Well..." Dani said, "I was just hoping that you wouldn't mind if I went with you." Teresa's eyebrows furrowed low over her eyes, "Not for long, just to say hi. I haven't seen the guys in a while and I just wanted to talk."

"Have you used up all of your self-control?" Teresa asked. Now that Leah had been gone for an fair amount of time, Teresa's shell was cracking again.

"Huh?" Dani asked, genuinely confused.

Teresa scrutinizingly looked Dani up and down. It wasn't lost on Teresa that Dani was wearing black dress pants, dressy flat shoes, and a very nice form fitting red top, "You've tried as hard as you possibly could to stay away from Adam and now you want to go over to their place for a friendly chat? What's up?"

"Nothing." Dani replied, "Adam's a great guy and just because we went out doesn't mean I should avoid him. They're my friends... At least, I think they still are. No one ever told me anything to the contrary."

"Oh... Kay," Teresa said slowly, "I guess that will work."

Dani smiled, but not too big, "Thanks."

"You confuse me." Teresa stated bluntly.

Shrugging and retreaving her coat from the closet, Dani merely said, "I do that to a lot of people."

-(-)-

Turning off the car and pulling her keys out of the ignition, Teresa couldn't help but stare at Dani out of the corner of her eyes. She was staring directly forward, her face completely unreadable, and tapping on the door arm rest to the beat of the song that was no longer playing. Looking down to put her keys in her purse, Teresa scrunched up her forehead in confusion. Dani was certainly the most complex person that Teresa had ever met.

"Ready?" Dani asked, pulling Teresa out of her deep thought. Teresa looked up and saw that Dani was looking directly at her. Dani's face was no longer emotionless. Instead, it was wide-eyed and analyzing, as if Dani were trying to read Teresa's mind. The latter also noticed that there was a twinkle of amusement in those wide eyes as she looked into them. Again, Dani was too complex at times.

"Sure." Teresa replied, opening her door and stepping out. Dani smiled behind Teresa's back. She was confused, Dani could tell, but she still had no indication of the real reason that Dani was with her. Stepping out of the car as well, Dani shot a small glance Teresa's way. Her facial expressions were priceless. Dani could practically see the cogs working in her head, trying to figure out what was going on.

Both girls slammed the doors of the car shut at the same time and Teresa locked it with a beep, "So," Teresa began as they walked towards the building, "what are you planning on doing after you leave."

Dani opened the door and let Teresa enter before her, "Well, I'm not really sure." She admitted after she closed the door behind her, "Just go out for some chow, I suppose." This wasn't technically a lie. Adam had an evening planned for the two of them but all that he told her was that they were going to dinner, he never said where, and that he had something planned after that. It was a good thing that Dani was much better suited for surprises then Leah was.

"By yourself?" Teresa asked. Dani merely shrugged, managing to embitter Teresa further.

Dani chuckled, "You are bitter about something." Teresa turned to look at her, her face still bitter, "What's up?"

"You are infuriating at times, you know that don't you?" Dani nodded, causing Teresa to chuckle acidly, "And you use that on people." Dani nodded again, this time with a smile, "Ugh!"

"I heart you." Dani replied sweetly.

"No doubt." Teresa mumbled as they reached the penthouse door. She knocked, but Dani could see her staring at her from the corner of her eye again. The door opened and Teresa's face lighted up, "Hey Jesse."

"Hey Princess." Jesse said back as he hugged her, "Come on in." Teresa entered and Jesse was going to close the door, but stopped when he saw Dani. He gaped, speechless.

Dani smiled, "Hey Jess."

"Dani?"

"Most days," Dani quipped, "Can I come in?"

Still attempting to figure out if Dani was actually there, or if he was imagining her, all Jesse could manage was, "Um... Uh... Er..." Dani sighed heavily and plastered a convincingly hurt expression on her face. It was fake of course, this reaction was what she had hoped for, "Sure." He managed.

"Thanks." Dani said, smiling again. She walked past him, he was following her with his eyes as she did so, and entered the familiar hallway. The door closed and Jesse slipped past her to the living room. She followed and smiled broadly as she leaned against the doorway. Teresa was lowly and quickly giving Charlie and Jesse the scoop on why Dani was there. Or, at least, what she knew.

Charlie noticed Dani first, "Hey, Dani."

"What's up Charlie?" Dani asked, walking over, "I can't get a hug around here nowadays?"

"Oh." Charlie said, reaching out and hugging her, "How are you Dani?"

"I'm good." Dani replied, "Now why are you all looking at me like I'm Bigfoot or an alien?"

Teresa, Charlie, and Jesse glanced around to each other, "Well, Dani, it's just..." Charlie began, not sure what to see, "We haven't really... Crap." He mumbled to himself, causing Dani to giggle. She watched expectantly as he thought of something to say.

Sighing heavily, Jesse took over, "What it is is, we haven't seen you in a while. We thought that you might be mad at us for... You know." Dani nodded, "So... Are you?"

"Mad?" Dani asked, everyone nodded, "At first I was ready to rip off your family jewels and feed them to you, and then draw and quarter you."

"Descriptive." Charlie cringed.

Teresa sighed, "You don't want to know what she had planned for me."

Shrugging, Dani went on, "Well, it was wrong what you did and if you _ever _pull another stunt like that again, I will think of something worse then that, but what can I say? Through all of that, I still really care about you guys."

Charlie and Jesse smiled. It was good to know that they were forgiven. Dani would always be an honorary Duck and Ducks fly together, "Skater Girl!" Jesse cooed as he pulled her into a huge hug. Dani chuckled. That had been Jesse's special nickname for her ever since Dean and Kenny had showed the Ducks her performance at the U.S. Nationals. That couldn't have more then two weeks after Dean introduced her to the Ducks, but for some reason Jesse never called her that around the other Ducks. He said it was his nickname for her and that no one else could call her that.

"Jess." Dani said, now no longer chuckling, "You're crushing my spine."

"Oh." Jesse mumbled, letting her go.

The whole group was smiling as large as they could, "Hey, Cake-eater! Look who showed up." Charlie called towards the doorway. Dani turned and looked at Adam. He very nearly took her breath away and vise versa. He was, as usual, perfectly groomed and he looked extremely dapper in his button-up French Blue top and khaki pants.

Adam smiled, "Hey gorgeous." He said as he walked over to Dani and wrapped her in his arms. Audible gasps came from the other three in the room.

"Hey yourself, handsome." Dani replied as Adam leaned over and kissed her. Dani reveled in his kiss and pulled him closer to her, snaking her arms around his torso as she did so.

After less then a minute Dani and Adam pulled apart, "What the hell is going on?" Jesse's voice broke through their bliss.

"I second that..." Charlie asked, looking directly at Teresa. She shrugged, also clearly clueless, as Dani released Adam and turned to look at them. Adam wrapped his arms around her waist and kept her pressed against his side.

"Oh, did we forget to tell you?" Adam asked innocently, but his eyes held a devious glimmer just beneath the surface. Charlie and Jesse gaped at that, while Teresa managed a few nearly inaudible, choked out words. Adam and Dani chuckled as she leaned against him and he kissed her on the very corner of her mouth.

"Oops." Dani replied, though no fake emotions laced her voice. She was clearly sarcastic, admitting what she and Adam had planned though not actually saying the word.

Teresa looked from Charlie and Jesse to Dani and Adam and back, "What? When?"

"Halloween." Adam and Dani replied at the same time.

Charlie's eyes widened at his best friend, "And you didn't tell us?" He asked lividly.

"We wanted it to be a surprise." Dani responded. There was an air of smugness in Dani's words and in the way that Adam nodded next to her shoulder, but only because they were proud of themselves for keeping their secret.

Adam kissed Dani's temple and looked back to the others, "And on that note, we need to get going. Our reservation is for 7:15." Dani nodded as Adam released her and walked over to the closet to grab his coat, "Bye guys." He said to Charlie and Jesse and he put his coat on, "See you, Princess." He added to Teresa, giving her a light hug.

"Bye everybody." Dani said as Adam took her hand and lead her out the door. The second they were out of the door, Dani and Adam heard indignant and exasperated exclamations come from their friends inside. They chuckled, but for a moment Dani worried, "You don't think this will ruin their date, do you?"

Shaking his head, Adam replied, "No, of course not. Jesse will probably stew on it wherever he goes and then attack me when he or I get home, but Teresa and Charlie will probably forget about it in 20 minutes or so. They're too enamored with each other to worry about us for very long."

Dani nodded in agreement, "Until they are apart and remember. They'll kill us when you come home and I get back to the dorm."

"True." Adam said, "So how about we make the most of the time we have alone."

Smiling, Dani agreed, "I like that idea." Adam leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips, but ended it quickly, "So," Dani said, "Where are we going, I'm starving."


	22. Run In's and Dates

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

**For Esme-** Really? Thanks! I really appreciate that you like everything so much. Yeah, I'd agree with you; Adam and Dani are totally made for each other. That's the way that I envisioned them, even if Dean didn't want to agree with it at first... Oh well, he got over it (clearly).

**Tinkerbell821-** Thank you very much. All my senior stuff went very well. I am now an official 2008 graduate (as of May 28th!) and I couldn't be happier. I hope that the same can be said for you. Thanks again!

Many, many thanks to AznIntegra and Jas120!

-(-)-

Jesse stewed. He was bitter and angry. There was no rhyme or reason to the insanity that he had just witnessed. Dani and Adam were back together, he was happy about that. Hell, happy didn't even begin to cover it. But what Jesse didn't understand is why it took them a freaking week to tell anyone. Leah would already know, that was a given, she was the sister that Dani never had, but he was sure that no one else would know. The Duck grapevine, however, was just as strong across the nation as it had been across Eden Hall to his and Terry's public school. Everyone, including the Banks and Portman families, would know soon enough, though Jesse was sure that all Ducks would work hard to make Dean the last to know. Jesse chuckled.

His thoughts switched momentarily to Terry, though Jesse wasn't quite sure why or how. He had been dating Piper for a little while now and Jesse couldn't help but wonder how that was working out. Terry had literally salivated over her for nearly a year and a half, Jesse knew where the drool-stained pillow covers were to prove it, but he didn't know much about their actual relationship. How was it working out? Piper's best friend's brother was one of the only decent soccer players at Eden Hall, so did that cause any friction? Jesse doubted it. The kid probably just wanted to join Terry and his team.

But that wasn't the situation at hand. Dani and Adam were where he wanted his thoughts to be focused on, even though he knew it would only piss him off to think too long on them. How had they gotten back together, after all? Hadn't both of them spent the whole of their energy to stay away from each other? Had that taken a toll on them so much so that they just ran out of the energy required to stay apart?

"Why couldn't they just make things simple?" Jesse asked himself, "Is that too much to ask?" He kicked a small rock so hard that it flew down the street and dented a metal trash can (Jesse smiled at his accomplishment) and turned the corner. He sat down at a bus stop, though he had no intentions of getting on a bus. His car was still back home in Minnesota, but that didn't bother him. The subway was easy enough and with gas prices higher then the sky and crazy Boston drivers merely being themselves, Jesse was perfectly happy with his situation.

Solid breath emerged from his mouth and Jesse pulled his jacket closer to his body. That was the one problem with his lack of car, jackets provided less protection. He stood before a bus came and thought he wanted to get on and began walking again. At least Adam now had something to do during Charlie's and Teresa's dates at the penthouse. He had wondered why Adam had said that they couldn't find something to do with each other... Now he knew.

"That's just... great." Jesse mumbled. He was bored out of his skull, not knowing what to do. He still didn't know Boston all that well so all he could do was walk around in the cold until he found something.

Jesse turned the corner and continued walking, but heard a familiar voice halfway down the block. He furrowed his eyebrows and turned around to look for the voice. No one was behind him, but he saw an entrance to a large parking lot. The parking lot was nearly empty, so Jesse saw exactly who he thought he'd heard. Lex. She and one of her friends were bitterly arguing with some guy, who was clearly very wealthy. He was better groomed then Adam, which was weird, but the expression on his face said that he was wasted.

"Back the fuck off!" Lex spat at the guy.

"Oh come on." He grumbled, slurring his words, "Lex, we're meant for each other."

Lex's friend scoffed, "Like hell you are. Lex can do so much better then a drunk and a cheat like you. Just drop dead Will."

"Stay the hell out of this, Raquel."

Jesse furrowed his eyebrows; this 'Will' guy was pissing him off, "Hey!" He called, striding over. Lex's eyes brightened when she saw him, "I don't know if you have a hearing problem or something, but these ladies told you to leave them alone." Jesse loudly enunciated the last three words.

Will teetered backwards for a second, but recovered, "Who the hell are you?" He asked loudly, breathing in Jesse's face.

Blinking and coughing, Jesse waved his hand in front of his face to dissipate the smell of alcohol and mint, "Seriously, man, a word of advice. Mouthwash will not help make anyone think that you are less wasted. Just because the main ingredient in most mouthwashes is alcohol doesn't mean that it will help you get away with being drunk bastard." Lex and Raquel giggled, "Now go away."

"Make me." Will said, lunging at Jesse. The latter simply stepped out of the way and let Will fall to the ground, spattering himself with the sludge that thickly paved the ground.

Laughter erupted from Lex and Raquel. Jesse himself smiled at the dirty rich boy in front of him, "You are..." Jesse thought hard for the right word, "pathetic." Yeah, that fit. The two girls quickly linked their arms with Jesse and dragged him over to a _very _nice car, clearly a convertible. Raquel unlinked her arm and leaned against the metallic blue car with black top.

"Thanks Jesse." Lex said, "You didn't need to do that."

Jesse shrugged, "Hey, I had pent up frustration and it seemed like the perfect way to relieve that frustration."

Lex smirked, "Why so frustrated?"

Jesse sighed. Lex knew all about the attempt to push Adam and Dani back together, so she was entitled to know the truth, "Adam and Dani finally got together." Lex gaped and squealed in excitement until she realized that Jesse wasn't happy. She gave him a look asking what was wrong, "They've been together since Halloween and they decided to tell us when Teresa came over to our place for her date with Charlie. Now I am stuck all alone with nothing to do and I am bored out of my mind."

"Oh, poor Jesse." Lex replied.

"Yes," Raquel injected herself into the conversation, "poor Jesse who I don't know."

Sighing heavily and flicking herself in the forehead, Lex seemed to understand what Raquel was getting at, "Sorry. Jesse this is my friend Raquel McNamara, Raquel this is Jesse Hall. He's a friend of my sister and an all around nice guy."

"That I gathered." Raquel replied holding out her hand, "Nice to meet you and thanks again for helping us with our little problem."

"It was nothing." Jesse said, shaking her held out hand, "But I do have a question." Raquel raised her eyebrows, "What kind of car is that? It's amazing."

Raquel laughed, showing off very straight, white teeth, "It's a Jag XK-Series XKR convertible."

-(-)-

The situation involving Adam and Dani had been forgotten the moment that Charlie and Teresa were left alone in the penthouse. Well, not really, but the two had placed the thought in the back of their minds and they told themselves to grill their friends at the next available moment. Now they were lying on the couch, Charlie's arm around Teresa's shoulders, waiting for the lasagna that Charlie had started before Teresa came. Teresa was flipping through channels, but neither of them found anything interesting.

"I feel bad." Teresa said out of the blue as she turned off the television.

"Huh?" Charlie asked, "Why?"

Teresa pulled away from him and sighed, "Jesse. He's out in the cold with nothing to do because we took over your living space. If anything, we should be the ones going out and he should get to stay in. Or he needs a girlfriend."

"He has his eye on a few girls." Charlie admitted, "But he's going slow. With what happened last time..." Charlie stopped, not sure if he should go on. But Teresa raised her eyebrows in question, "He'd been dating a girl for a little while, about six months, and things were going great until he found out that she had a sugar daddy to supplement their relationship." Teresa groaned in disgust, "Jesse told her that if she couldn't handle their relationship with just the two of them, then there was no relationship."

"Ew." Teresa said, "I hate girls like that, and I know too many of them."

Charlie rolled his eyes in agreement, "Yeah, the Ducks were a soap opera... But you're right. _We _should have been the one's going out. I thought that Jesse and Adam were going to do something together, but apparently not." He ended with an exasperated tone to his voice.

"We know for the future." Teresa said, leaning up to kiss Charlie on the cheek. Charlie nodded and brought her closer to him, kissing her sweetly on the lips. Teresa smiled under his kiss, pulling herself up to reach his lips better, and gently rested her fingertips on his face. Charlie's grasp around her waist became tighter and the kiss quickly became deep and passionate. The gentle fingertips on Charlie's face flattened out as Teresa maneuvered her hands so that she could get a better grip, wrapping her fingers around his head to lock him in place.

The next thing either of them knew, Charlie had somehow ended up on top of Teresa. They were kissing more ferociously then before as he cupped her face and she locked her arms around his neck. Charlie unconsciously ran his tongue along Teresa's lips and she, caught up in the moment, allowed him in. This was the farthest they had gone, physically, in their relationship and they liked it. Their heartbeats raced as the pulled each other closer, if that were possible.

Bliss ran through every fiber of the two, but it was brought to a screeching halt by the damn timer on the oven. Charlie pulled up, sighing, so that he was looking at Teresa. She was absolutely gorgeous, even if her lips were slightly red, "I should get that." He mumbled uncomfortably.

Teresa moved her arm and swept her hand so lightly across his face that it felt like a feather duster, "We can always start back where we left off after dinner." She smiled shyly, causing Charlie to lightly chuckle. He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead, "What?" She asked when she saw the look in eyes.

"I'm holding you to that." Charlie replied, staring Teresa in the eye, as he stood up and walked -backwards, as to still keep his eyes on her- towards the kitchen. Teresa giggled and involuntarily bit her lip, unknowingly sending Charlie's heart into a whirl and his knees into a near Jello-like state. He kept himself composed enough to make it into the kitchen.

-(-)-

Neither Adam nor Dani had looked away from the other the entire night. They just couldn't bring themselves to do it. They had stolen a few moments alone during their week together, but it had been difficult. With classes, practices for their respective sports, and the constant presence of their friends it had been difficult to find time together. Now there was nothing to hide, not that there was before, they'd just _really _wanted to go through with their plan.

Unfortunately, the place where Adam had planned on taking her hadn't reserved any place for them, even though Adam had made reservations. Luckily for them a tiny, family owned restaurant was across the street and the two agreed that they would like to go somewhere small. Dani laughed when she and Adam entered. It was an Italian restaurant and all of the staff was Italian. She was forced to even more when she caught sight of the utter look of confusion on Adam's face when she spoke to the waiter in Italian. Adam had felt so left out of their conversation that he insisted on Dani teaching him Italian, "Maybe later." She'd said. Adam had laughed and said that he hadn't meant at that moment.

Their date was near it's end now. Adam and Dani had fully eaten their meals and they were waiting for the check. Adam had taken Dani's hand in his and was instinctively stroking it with his thumb as the spoke, "So, how long do you think it will take for everyone to know that we're back together?" Adam asked, hitting on practically the only subject they hadn't talked about.

Rolling her eyes, Dani replied, "Well for all your fears about the Ducks being over, we know that that will never happen. The team grapevine is too strong to be ignored." Dani chuckled and reminisced, "Dean would get calls at four in the morning about something or another, and I'm sure that it was always the same with Ken, Russ, Julie, Dwayne, and Luis... Anyway," She said, pulling out of her memory, "Jess and Charlie will send out the big news and it will spread faster then a wildfire; everyone will know but Dean will be the last to get the news, I'll put money on that."

Adam sighed. He'd mentioned to Dani how much he feared losing the Ducks, but she was steadfast in her claim that they would remain friends, "Well, you know the Ducks. Even Julie would keep this from him, just to see his reaction."

"Exactly."

"But, I think we have to do something on our own."

Dani furrowed her eyebrows, sending creases down her tan and delicate looking forehead, "Which would be...?" Dani asked, looking for an elaboration.

Chuckling slightly, Adam replied, "We should tell our parents," Dani laughed lightly in agreement, "Seriously, though, if they hear it from anyone other then us, I think they would kill us."

Running her hand through her hair and shaking her hair, Dani responded with a resounding, "They would _not _kill us, Adam. They would crucify us."

Adam laughed, that was very true, "I can see that happening." He said with a hint of amusement in his voice, "Thank you." He added to the waiter, who had set the check on the table.

The waiter nodded politely and said, "I'll be back in a few minutes."

As she watched his back retreat, Dani turned to Adam, "We should leave him a good tip, he was really good." Adam nodded in agreement as he placed cash in side the check holder. Just as he did so the waiter was back, quickly taking the check holder and leaving again.

A moment of silence passed before Dani felt her cellphone vibrate in her pocket. She raised an eyebrow and pulled it out, "Who is it?" Adam asked.

"Leah." She replied, opening the phone, "Le? What is it?"

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god..." Leah said, repeating herself nearly twenty times before she managed, "Gunnar gave me his surprise."

Dani's eyes widened, "What? What was it?" She asked, excitedly, "He didn't ask you to marry him, did he? I was totally joking about that and... What was it?"

Giggling with happiness, Leah had to calm herself down before she could say anything. Dani's patience was running out as Leah took too many deep breaths for her liking. Just as she was going to snap, Leah said, "He brought my parents to the restaurant and showed us a flier for a house for sale... My mom's old house is being sold and he said that he wanted to help my parent's buy it back!"

Stunned silence was all that Adam saw for nearly two minutes. Then, out of practically nowhere, Dani squealed... She _actually _squealed! Adam had never, ever seen or heard her squeal before, "Oh my god! That is amazing. He is such a sweetie. How did your parents take it? They must have flipped!"

"That's an understatement." Leah said, her voice exhausted yet exhilarated, "Mom practically jumped out of her skin to hug him and then she couldn't stop crying. I had to reassure poor Gunnar that it was a good thing. Dad just couldn't believe it. He sat there for, like, five minutes before he managed to say anything. Then he couldn't stop thanking Gunnar."

"Wow." Dani said, "Congratulations Le."

Leah's smile was noticeable through the phone, "Thanks, Dan. I gotta go and I'm sure you're still out with Adam, so sorry for interrupting."

"That's okay." Dani replied.

Leah sighed, "Okay, good. I'll talk to you later. Give Adam my love."

"Bye, Le." Dani said as she hung up, "Leah sends you her love." Adam raised his eyebrows in question, "Adam, please. You had to know that Leah would be the first to know. She's like a sister to me."

"Yeah, I know." Adam said, "So, when did you tell her?"

"Just before I came to the penthouse with Teresa." Dani replied as the waiter returned with Adam's copy of the check and his change.

"Have a nice night." He said.

"Thanks." Dani replied as she and Adam got up to leave, "You too." The waiter nodded, Dani had a sneaking suspicion that he was really shy, and left.

Adam left a ten dollar bill on the table and took Dani's hand, "So, are we going back to the penthouse now, or should we delay the slaughter?"

Laughing at his choice of words and rolling her eyes, Dani replied, "Why delay the inevitable?"

* * *

**_Author's Note:_** Seriously everyone, I don't think there is anyway that I will ever have a time where I don't have an active Mighty Ducks story in the works. I've already thought of three... Well, technically four considering one of them has evolved so much that it's nearly a completely different story. If I ever write them and put them up, would you guys be interested? I can't tell you much but I can say that one of them would delve more into Bombay's family (starting with D1), one would have a LOT more Jesse (starting with D2), and one would mostly focus on a character very often forgotten in Mighty Ducks fanfic. And, even better, in all of them I will give some explanation as to why certain member of the Ducks go missing. So, what do you think? I'm not fishing, I just like to know what my audience likes and dislikes.

_**Another Author's Note:**_ Okay, just a warning. I won't actually be putting the whole "confrontation" between Dani and Adam and Jesse, Charlie, and Teresa in the next chapter. There will be snip-its of it, most likely from a Dani flashback or something. Now, why and I doing this? Because the confrontation, as I am calling it, is really unnecessary. Everyone knows the truth now and we can get on with the story. That is all that matters. Besides, it would mostly be the same thing over and over again... You all know how indignant people get repetitive, I'm sure. If you don't like what I have planned then attempt to change my mind, but I promise nothing. That is all!


	23. Informing the Family

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

**reader-babe-** I know that I haven't put very much about the majority of the Ducks in this story. I meant for it to be like that. In all honesty, the other Ducks aren't doing too much of interest. They're just going to college and the stuff that they do is pretty average. There will be a chapter dedicated to the spread of the news that Dani and Adam got back together and they'll show up in the last few chapters, but I'm not planning on having much else of them. I'm sorry if you don't like that, but that'll probably be it.

**awtr101fan-** Okay, thanks for the review(s). I love new reviewers and I'm glad that you enjoy so much of what is happening, despite the two-year gap between this story and the last! Anyhoo please read above for the explanation for why I haven't written anything concerning the majority of the Ducks. I've been planning from the beginning for them, all of them, to come back in the last few (however many that happens to be) chapters. During that time Goldie will be addressing Tarah and how they worked out, just as I have always planned. So don't worry!

Thanks so very, very much to AznIntegra and Jas120! And as for my author's notes in the previous chapter, I'm going to assume that no one has a problem with my plans for the confrontation because no one has complained about it. When it comes to my other Mighty Ducks stories, it seems that I'll just have to wait and see what everyone thinks.

-(-)-

Slivers of light shot through the gap in the curtains. That was all that broke through the darkness. Dani smiled as she pulled her blanket around her and stared at the slivers. What she had expected had come to pass, but getting there was… _Un_expected.

She and Adam arrived back at the penthouse, thoroughly prepared to be grilled by their friends only to find Jesse gone and Charlie and Teresa in a heated make out session. It was quite hilarious actually. It took the latter two nearly five minutes to realize that they weren't alone. It was kind of like a car accident; Dani and Adam knew that they should look away or make their presence known, but they found themselves unable to do so.

"_Dear God!" _Charlie had gasped when he finally pulled away from Teresa and saw his best friend, _"How long have you two been here?" _

"_A while." _Dani had replied simply, causing Teresa to go bright red and Charlie to curse under his breath. As Dani thought back, she mused on the particular shade of red that Teresa's face turned. It reminded her of the shade that Doe's had been the majority of the summer after the Olympics. Their group of four lounged outside of the Portman home around the pool as much as possible and Doe almost always forgot to reapply sunscreen… It was bad.

The penthouse had been completely silent until Jesse arrived. Silent because Teresa and Charlie were extremely embarrassed and because Adam and Dani were so amused. When Jesse entered and noticed the tension, he comically asked, _"Who died?" _

From there it took no time for the conversation to revert back to Adam and Dani. The two sighed and made their way to a chair to relax; the same chair, in fact, that they had spent their first night making out in. Dani rested on Adam's lap and he held her close as they prepared to endure their friend's bitterness.

Just as Dani had thought, Charlie, Teresa, and Jesse's claims were repetitive and got _very_ old extremely quickly. Dani remembered the exact feeling she got when their annoyance reached its peak. She wasn't angry with them, just astounded at they way they reacted, _"Okay, shut up!" _She'd said, finally pushed beyond her limit, _"So we didn't tell you that we were together. Who the hell cares? It's been a _week_ people." _

Charlie, Teresa, and Jesse tried to protest, but Adam –who was also fed up- had concurred with his girlfriend, _"Dani's right. We didn't do anything that justifies _this_ reaction." _Dani smiled as she remembered Adam's firm tone, _"Like she said, it's been a week. It's not like we've been together this whole time and just told you we weren't for kicks. Get. Over. It." _

Dani had chuckled at the looks of disbelief on the faces of the three antagonizers. None of them had expected that from Adam. Dani, maybe, but not Adam. As she curled deeper into the mattress on her bed, Dani smiled broadly at the memory. The others had looked on, unable to speak, and she had turned to Adam, _"You're really hot, you know that?" _

"_Um, thank you?" _Adam had asked, clearly not expecting that. Dani leaned in and kissed him and he, in turn, gladly reciprocated. After Adam's outburst and their kiss, Dani informed them that they should be happy for the couple, not bitter and confrontational. Teresa assured the couple that they we're happy and the group of three realized that they, in fact, had no reason for their actions and apologized.

Dani was glad that the whole debacle was over with. A murmur from Teresa's sleeping form brought Dani back to their room. Turning onto her side and squinting her eyes to see through the dark, Dani smiled as Teresa's hair feel over her face, making the latter look like Cousin Itt.

Lying back down on her bed, Dani sighed contently. Now all she had to do was wait for the news to make it's way around the country to the Ducks. Surely Leah had already informed Doe and Eve, who would be slightly less enthused then the Ducks, but happy for their friend nonetheless. Dani knew that she could count on her friends to give her the chance to tell people herself. No one in Chicago would know until she called home the next day.

Any and all tension in the air was gone. She was back with the person she loved and everyone approved, or they would once they found out. Dani sighed again, pulled her blankets around her, and closed her eyes. It didn't take very long for her to fall asleep.

-(-)-

Several hours after Dani feel asleep, Adam woke up with more energy then he ever remembered having. He and Charlie had practice in an hour, but he –in Charlie's opinion- always woke up way too early. Adam shrugged him off, not telling him about the quiet that he enjoyed in the early mornings. The morning passed quickly, as did practice. Dani was on his mind and she made for a good distraction to keep him going.

After practice, he and Charlie made their way home to rest until class. During that time, Adam knew exactly what he was going to do and that was call home and give his parents the good news. He would probably catch them just as they left to take Monica to school before going to work. Monica was going to flip her lid, but at least it was in the good way.

Charlie retreated to his room in an attempt to catch a little more sleep; an attempt that Adam knew would be in vain. Adam took the cordless phone off of its charger and made himself comfortable on his and Dani's chair. He quickly dialed his home phone number and waited for someone to pick up.

"Hello?" A voice answered, making him smile.

"Hi mom."

Corrine gasped in surprise and happiness, "Adam? Hi, honey. What's going on?"

"A lot." Adam answered truthfully, "That's why I called. There is something that I want to tell everybody and I knew that this might be the only time that I could catch all of you."

"Of course." Corrine said, "Hold on a minute, sweetie." Adam heard the phone being put on speaker as Corrine called, "Phil, Monica, Jamie, Thalia, come down here for a minute, please."

Adam felt his eyes bug, "Jamie and Thalia are there? What they doing there?"

"We're visiting." Jamie's voice said through the speaker as more footsteps sounded around him, "And we're all here so what do you want?"

Shaking his head, Adam attempted to ignore his brother, but it didn't matter as he heard his mother reprimand Jamie for what he said, "It's not that important," Adam admitted quickly in an attempt to save his brother from their mother's wrath. He knew how much she missed her 'baby boy', "it's just really good news."

"Well then spit it out." Monica said sharply, "I need to get to school."

Rolling his eyes at her earnest, knowing that she had to have an ulterior motive for wanting to get to school, Adam said, "Well chill for a second." Monica huffed, "Like I said, it's not really important. I just wanted to tell you before someone else did." He waited for a second.

"What is it, honey?" Corrine asked.

Adam sighed, he knew his mom would freak, "Mom, relax. It's not bad. It's actually really good." He heard his mom sigh in relief, "Anyway, I don't know if any of you know, but Dani's out here too and she and I… Well, we're back together." The words had barely exited his mouth and Adam was jerking the phone away from his ear. As he expected his mother and sister squealed exceptionally loud while his dad was calm, as always.

"Well it's about damn time!" Jamie exclaimed.

"Calm down, dear." Thalia broke in, completely composed, "Congratulations Adam. We're all very happy for you. You should see your dad, he's giddy." Adam laughed. Giddy wasn't a word that was normally associated with Philip Banks. But, then again, Philip knew how much his son loved Dani and, therefore, was bound to be happy, "You should bring her to Vegas sometime to visit us."

Chuckling, Adam replied, "Sure, I can do that."

"Fabulous." Thalia said, clearly with a smirk.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" Monica prattled at top speed, "I can't wait to see Dani again." Her speech became nonsensical chatter, causing Adam to roll his eyes. Despite her want to get to school, whatever the hell that was about, all he had to do was mention Dani and Monica forgot everything.

Sighing, Adam intervened, "Hey, Monica. Didn't you really need to get to school or something? That's what it sounded like before." He could tell that Monica was pouting even though she said nothing, "That's what I thought. Anyway, I need to go. Charlie, Jesse, and I have class soon."

"Bye sweetie." Corrine said. The rest of the group said their good-byes, but they became muddled together so that Adam couldn't really tell who was saying what. It didn't matter though. He hung up the phone knowing that his family was happy for him.

Adam stood and placed the phone back on its charger before falling into his every morning routine. He walked down the hall to Jesse's room and banged loudly on the door, "Jess, man, wake up."

"I don't have class for another couple of hours!" Jesse whined back as if he were whining to his mother.

"Yeah, and you're going to sleep through it if you don't wake up now." Adam reminded him. It was true, once Jesse feel asleep again, nothing would wake him up. Jesse sighed and through his covers off of him as Adam walked to Charlie's door and banged on it, knowing that Charlie was awake and would be out of bed without needing verbal encouragement.

-(-)-

The whole day passed quickly for Dani. From the time she woke up, she was focused on getting through the day. Her morning practice went by as problem free as Adam's, classes seem to pass exceptionally fast, and sooner then she'd expected, Dani found herself back at her dorm. Teresa had a test to study for, so she left for the library, leaving Dani alone.

It was no surprise to anyone that knew her, but Dani hated being alone unless she was depressed. At the moment, she wasn't. In fact, she was elated. That being the case, Dani pulled her cell phone out of her bag, dropped the bag on her bed, and left the dorm.

After walking for about five minutes, Dani found herself at a bench. Sitting, she checked her watch and subtracted an hour. Her dad should just be getting home with Caleb, while her mom and Felix had probably been home for about half an hour. Dani sighed at her phone and dialed her home number.

"Portman Residence."

"Hi Daddy!" Dani replied excitedly.

"Dani?" Kal asked, clearly opening a can of something for something for dinner, "Hey, sweetheart, how are you?"

"I'm good." Dani said, thinking that that was an understatement not but sure what else to say, "And I have some really good news for you and mom." The sound of the can opener that had barely reached Dani's ears before, stopped completely as Kal registered what his daughter said and worried, "Daddy? Are you still there?"

Coming back to reality, Kal replied, "Yes, baby, I'm here. Hold on a second." He put the phone down and walked away. Dani could have sworn that she heard him calling up the stairs for her mother. She was sure that that would also get Caleb's attention. The boy was too curious for his own good so he would probably try to listen in from the doorway of the kitchen. Oh well, he would find out soon enough, "I'm back Dani."

"Honey?" Alyssa asked eagerly, clearly not as worried as her husband, "What's going on?" Dani didn't immediately reply. She could imagine the scene back home perfectly. Her dad had the phone in his hand, holding it between himself and his wife so that they could both hear; they wouldn't notice their second youngest child slinking by the doorway in an attempt to hear as well.

"Well, long story short, Adam and I got back together on Halloween." Dani stated plainly.

"Wait, what?" Alyssa asked, "How?"

Dani smirked, "You didn't know that Adam was at BC?" By the silence she suspected not, "Really? Dean kept that information from you too? Okay I feel better."

"Honey, that's great." Kal said, relieved, "Congratulations."

Smiling ear to ear, Dani replied, "Thanks Daddy." She couldn't for the life of her think of what her father could have possibly thought she was calling for. Whatever it had been, she was sure she didn't want to know. He was happy for her and that was all she needed to know.

"Baby, are you happy?" Alyssa asked.

"Yes." Dani replied, unsure of where her mother was going.

Alyssa sighed, "Then don't let him go again."

Shaking her head seriously, Dani firmly stated, "I don't plan on it, Mom. I can honestly say that."

"Well," Kal chimed in, "if he is the only guy that I will ever have to worry about with you, then I'm better off then most dads. Thank you for that, baby girl." It wasn't lost on Dani or her brothers that their dad approved of Adam, though they had only met briefly.

Chuckling, Dani replied, "Your welcome, Daddy." She heard her parents chuckling as well, "I have to go, though, I have some work that I have to finish by Thursday and I should get some more done on it. I'll call you guys later, okay?" They agreed, needing to get dinner on the table, and hung up. Dani smiled, closed her phone, and walked back to her dorm. She hadn't been lying, she did need to get to work.


	24. Spreading the News

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

Thanks very, very much to Jas120, awtr101fan, AznIntegra, and Mrs. Crosby87! I appreciate all of your reviews. And, just to give peace of mind, I have no plans on abandoning this piece or any of my other current works in progress. If I had, I would tell you. I just had a lot to deal with during the summer and now that school has started up again (WOO COLLEGE!) I don't know how much time I will have to write. Also, something weird is going on with my computer, so I have no idea when I'll have the Internet. It's annoying and I'm trying to figure everything out with it, but it might take a little while. I'll work as fast as I can, so please be patient. Thanks!

**A/N:** This chapter will be slightly repetitive because this is the chapter all of the Ducks learn about Adam and Dani reuniting. Sorry if that seems a little boring, but it is necessary. I'll try to change up the scenarios that each Duck is in as much as I can, so that it won't be too much the same throughout that story. Thanks for bearing with me!

-(-)-

Jesse lounged on his bed, telephone in hand. Adam and Charlie were off with their girlfriends. There was no way of measuring how long it would take for them to get back, so Jesse took it upon himself to become the start of the Duck Grapevine. Taking a deep breath, Jesse turned on the phone and dialed the number that Tammy had given everyone before leaving. Her current home phone number, as she had her own apartment in New York. He had her cell phone number as well, but he didn't want to risk calling her if she was on the way to a class or something.

Lifting the phone to his ear, Jesse waited for an answer. He made it to two and three-quarters rings before someone jerked up the phone on the other end and hastily said, "Hello?"

"Tammy?" Jesse asked, "Why are you so out of breath?"

"Jesse?" She asked, taking a moment to comprehend what she was hearing, "Oh, it's nothing. I just didn't hear the phone ring, so I ran to get here. What's up?"

That was understandable. The first thought that had come to Jesse's mind was that she was making out with Fulton or something. For some reason his mind often traveled to the gutter nowadays; it was pathetic. Shaking his head as himself, Jesse replied, "I have some awesome news. Would you mind passing it on the Fulton and the other Ducks?"

"No problem." Tammy replied, "But I don't have to pass it on to Fulton. Fulton, come here! Jesse's on the phone; he wants to talk to us!" Jesse heard Fulton call back to her, a toilet flush, and a water faucet being turned on. Geez, how small was Tammy's apartment? Seconds later Tammy said, "Okay, we're both here, what's going on?"

A scoff reached Jesse's ear, "Hey, Jess, how's it going?"

"Can't complain." Jesse replied, knowing that Fulton was trying to bug the hell out of Tammy. Fulton wasn't stupid; he knew how much Tammy liked gossip. She wasn't malicious about it, she just couldn't help herself, "How about you? The Big Apple is treating you well?" Now Jesse was just laying it on as thick as possible. He could imagine Tammy's face pinched as small as possible in irritation.

Fulton continued, "Very well. Yesterday I…"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Tammy interrupted, "You did something with someone and it was a blast. Whatever. There was a reason you called, correct Jesse? Now are you going to tell us or are you two going to keep making fun of me for being a huge gossip-whore?"

Chuckling and taking pity on her, Jesse replied, "Sorry, Tammy. It was just too hard to resist." Fulton laughed and Jesse heard him kiss her, "Anyway, like I said, I have good news. Adam and Dani are back together." Just as Jesse expected, Tammy screamed, "Ow." He mumbled. Sure, he'd expected her to scream, but that didn't change that fact that she was extremely loud.

Fulton attempted to calm down his girlfriend as Jesse nursed his eardrum. After a minute, Tammy was finally calmed down and Fulton said, "That's great! Everyone has wanted them to get back together for years, even Portman. Hey, when _did_ they get back together?"

"Halloween."

"That fits." Tammy said, "It's Dani's favorite holiday, after all." She squealed again, but more to herself then anything, "Oh my god, this is amazing." She said as she began to talk as quickly as possible, "I know she'd been having a rough time after the breakup… But that's not the point. How do you want this go Jesse? Are you going to keep calling people, or do you just want us to call one person and then have them call one person."

"Option B. Keep the confusion down to a minimum." Jesse said, "How about this, we'll go across the country. Call Luis, Goldberg, or Connie and Guy. They're closest to us. Once they know, Averman and Dwayne will be next. Then someone will tell Ken and Russ and they can have the pleasure of telling Julie. We'll let her deal with Portman." Fulton and Tammy hastily agreed, "Sweet, I'll talk to you later."

After the goodbye's Jesse hung up and went back to work on a paper for sociology that he had due the next day. Tammy bounced in place, keeping in a squeal, until Fulton rested his arms around her shoulders and kept her on the ground, "Just breathe, baby. We don't want to freak out."

"But this is a good thing!" Tammy replied, "We have a right to be excited for our friends." Fulton sighed, silently telling her that excited and insane were two very different things, "Shut up." She mumbled, though he hadn't said anything. Going back into her happy place, Tammy thought for a moment and said, "Okay, I think we should call Connie and Guy, they're just upstate. We'll tell them what happened and explain Jesse's plan and this amazing information will be knowledge of all the Ducks in the next few hours."

Fulton sighed at his girlfriend, but agreed with her nonetheless. He pulled out his cell phone and placed it on speaker so that both he and Tammy would be able to talk to Connie and Guy. It wasn't much of a stretch that they would be together, so Fulton wasn't worried about having to call twice, "Do you want to talk first or should I?"

"Maybe you should, I'll just blurt it out."

"Good point." Fulton replied as he dialed Connie's number, as Guy never really had his cell phone on.

After one ring, the line picked up and Connie's excited voice said, "Fulton! What's up?"

"Fulton's calling?" Guy's voice sounded. From what Fulton could hear, he was probably right next to Connie, "What's he calling for?"

"I don't know stupid, that's why I asked."

Fulton and Tammy chuckled, "Hi guys," Fulton said, "Did I interrupt something?"

"No." They replied in unison, far too quickly. Tammy and Fulton shuttered, that meant that they _did _interrupt something. But Connie wasn't stupid, if it was anything too graphic, she'd have turned her phone off.

"Anyway," Tammy replied, wanting desperately to change the subject, "Fulton and I just got some really amazing news."

"How amazing?" Guy asked skeptically.

Fulton scoffed as Tammy shook her head, "Amazing enough for the Duck Grapevine, jerk." Tammy shot back, "Jeez, sorry we called in the middle of your make out session, but you don't need to be a dick about it." Guy was automatically silent, "Thanks, now do you want to hear the news so that you can send it on and then be alone, or do you just want Fulton and I to talk to you until dinner?"

"Speak." Guy said, "Ow." He gasped. Fulton and Tammy chuckled, Connie must have smacked him.

Now that Guy was properly shut up, Fulton simply said, "Dani and Adam are back together."

Connie gasped, something she did in place of squealing, and began clapping excitedly, "That's cool." Guy said, "About time, Adam's been moping for two years."

"Not to mention dating sluts." Connie broke in, "He only did it to forget about her; like _that_ worked."

A thought hit Tammy, "Yeah, and if Dani ever knew about that, she'd probably beat herself up over it. I know that she wanted him to be happy. But, then again, she'd probably end up killing him, too." She chuckled, "I say we don't tell her about that."

"Good plan." Connie replied, "So, who should we call?"

"Goldie or Luis." Fulton said, "Jess came up with a plan. We start on the east coast and work our way over. You call one of them and tell them to call the other, but make sure that the third knows to call Cowboy or Averman after that. The plan is to end with Ken and Russ informing Julie and her telling Dean. You know, making him the last to know."

Connie and Guy chuckled and Connie replied, "Got it. Bye."

"Bye." Tammy and Fulton said and hung up.

Guy smiled as he looked at Connie; she was close to tears. Over the years, she had essentially been the odd girl out. Tammy and Dani talked all the time and Julie was so close to Dani because the former was, of course, dating the latter's brother. The majority of her information was secondhand from one of them and it was sort of annoying, but also a little bit hurtful. Connie really liked Dani a lot and had become, she thought, really good friends with her.

"She likes you sweetie," Guy said, reading his girlfriend's face, "You just didn't get to spend as much time with her as Tammy and Julie did. Jules was always in Chicago to visit her grandmother and the Portman's and Tammy has figure skating."

Sighing, Connie admitted, "I know. I just wish that she and I had more time to get to know each other."

"You will now."

Smiling, Connie said, "Yup, I know. And if, for some reason, Adam and Dani split up again, I'm killing both of them."

"Charming." Guy replied, "Anyway, Goldie or Luis?" Connie raised her eyebrows, "Right, Goldie. We'll let him deal with Luis if he happens to call while Casanova is with a girl." Connie chuckled, "And then we can get back to what we were doing?"

Rolling her eyes and sighing, Connie said, "Of course." Guy smiled as Connie grabbed her phone again and dialed Goldberg's number.

"International House of Falafels, this is Greg Goldberg speaking. How may I help you?" Connie and Guy snorted, for some reason Goldberg had chosen that as his answering mechanism. No one really understood why.

"Hi Goldberg." Connie replied, deadpanned.

"Velvet Hammer?" He asked. Connie shook her head; Goldberg and Averman had taken to calling her that again. They'd been doing it since the beginning of their senior year.

"Who were you expecting, your mother?" Connie asked. Goldberg didn't answer.

Guy soon bored with the silence, "Hey Goldie!" He called loudly.

"Guy?" Goldberg asked, "What's going on? Did something happen to someone?"

"No." Connie replied, "Nothing like that. We're just passing on the news that Adam and Dani got back together. Remember when Charlie and Jesse called us and told us that Dean never informed anyone that Dani was in Boston?"

Thinking for a minute, Goldberg said, "Yeah, I remember. So, cool, they're back together. Who do I call?"

"Luis." Guy called, making Goldberg groan. Guy chuckled, but stopped when Connie took a swipe at him.

Connie sighed, "Call him and _make_ _sure _that he knows to call either Dwayne or Averman next. Then one of them needs to call the other and that person will need to get a hold of Ken and Russ."

"What about Cat-lady and Portman?"

"Ken and Russ will tell her, she'll deal with Portman." Connie replied, "We all know that he wanted Dani and Adam back together, but we can't be sure of how he'll react. He'll be better off hearing it from Julie then from one of us."

Goldberg thought for a moment, "Yeah, I agree. So, call Luis, got it."

"Bye Goldie." Connie said.

"See ya, Goldberg!"

"Bye Connie, bye Guy." Goldberg said as he hung up. Sighing once, he opened the phonebook on his phone, punched in 'L', and scrolled down to Luis's name. Taking a moment to pray that Luis wasn't with a girl, he pressed the dial button and hoped for the best.

"Whoever you are, I hate you." An angry voice said.

"Luis, sorry to bug you man, but I've got Duck gossip that needs to be spread."

"Goldie?" Luis asked in shock, "Man, I've got class tomorrow at seven in the morning and I haven't slept in nearly 36 hours. Tell me what it is and who I need to call, and then let me get back to sleep." Goldberg furrowed his eyebrows. It was only nine at night. Normally Luis went to bed around midnight, no matter the circumstances. And Goldberg should know, he roomed with Luis their junior year.

"Adam and Dani are back together, Dwayne or Averman. Then they need to call Ken and Russ, who'll talk to Julie." Goldberg said simply.

After a moment of silence, Luis said, "Really? Cake-eater got her back? _Perfecto_. I'll call Dwayne and tell him to call Averman."

"All right, man." Goldberg said, "Get some sleep afterwards."

Chuckling, Luis replied, "If I can. There's a huge party down the street and I don't know if I'll be able to sleep with all this noise… But thanks, anyway, Goldie."

"No problem." Goldberg said, "Bye." Luis said his goodbye and Goldberg hung up, turning his attention back to the plate of food that he had been interrupted in eating from.

Luis on the other hand groaned. He was happy, sure, but he wanted to sleep. He'd decided to call Dwayne because he knew that Averman would keep talking and talking and talking. Shaking his head, Luis picked up the phone next to his bed, dialed Dwayne's number, and waited.

"Howdy, Luis." Dwayne's country accent drawled. It sounded like Dwayne had actually bothered to look at his Caller ID before he picked up the phone, "How you doing man?"

"Poorly." Luis replied, "But there's good news."

"That's good. What happened?"

Taking a deep breath to keep himself from falling asleep, Luis said, "You know how Dani ended up in Boston with Adam, Charlie, and Jesse?" Dwayne replied yes, "Well, she and Adam got back together." Dwayne gasped in excitement, "We're spreading the news. Call Averman and tell him to call Russ and Ken."

"Got it." Dwayne said, "Hey, you sound tired man. You been getting enough sleep?"

"Not really." Luis replied, "I just called to pass on the news and I'm going to try to get back to sleep."

"Good idea." Dwayne said with a twinge of concern in his voice. He was much better a realizing when someone needed to be left alone then Averman –or anybody, really- was, that's why he was better to be around then most people, "Bye, Luis." Luis grumbled his goodbye and hung up as quickly as possible. Dwayne didn't take it personally; he took it in stride and dialed Averman.

"'Ello?" Averman's voice asked.

"Averman?" Dwayne asked, "It's Dwayne."

"Howdy, Cowboy." Averman said, "What's the haps?" Dwayne sat, stunned for a moment, until Averman clarified, "What's up?"

Shaking his head, Dwayne said, "Not much, just passing on the word. Adam and Dani are back together."

"Really?" Averman asked, no longer able to make a joke like he'd been planning to. This was not a topic of joking for any of the Ducks. Adam's complete emotional hell had been something that they all noticed and all, even Averman, took seriously. Then when Julie and Dean talked about Dani, they could all she that she was feeling that same way.

"That's what the rumor is." Dwayne replied, "And no one would make that up; it's just cruel."

"Yeah." Averman said, extremely serious, "So, who do I inform?" He asked, a slight joking tone in his voice. It wasn't the subject he was joking about, that was just how his voice sounded a lot of the time.

Thinking, Dwayne said, "Ken and Russ. It's my guess that all this spreading the word started in Boston and is going to reach Dean last. Julie will probably tell him."

"Oh." Averman replied, "Yeah, I wouldn't want to be the one to tell him. Okay, I'll call Ken and Russ… Hey, do you think Terry knows yet? Maybe Jesse told him already. No, I doubt it. I'll tell him. He and Piper are over at the mall, they shouldn't be hard to find."

Dwayne raised an eyebrow, "But the mall is really big."

"I know that." Averman said, "But I'll find them, I am determined. I have a mission!" Dwayne shook his head at Averman and his jokes, "Well, I'll talk to you later, Cowboy. I'm off to fulfill my destiny!"

"Uh-huh, bye." Dwayne replied as he hung up.

Averman stared aghast at his phone as the dial tone sounded. Dwayne had hung up on him! Shrugging it off, it was only fake aghast anyway, Averman slipped his phone into his pocket and headed to the mall, all the while reminding himself that he needed to call Ken and Russ after talking to Terry and Piper.

It didn't take Averman long to get to the mall and, despite Dwayne's protests, he knew exactly where to find the two love Ducks he was searching for. Terry and Piper were always at the movie theatre. Fully determined, Averman marched, quite literally, towards the theatre and, low and behold, there they were. Hand in hand, Terry and Piper were just exiting the movie they'd been seeing.

"Aw, they're so cute!" Averman said in a baby voice, getting their attention. Terry shook his head, but Piper smiled. Averman walked over to the couple and bluntly stated, "Adam and Dani are back together."

"What?" Terry and Piper, or 'Piter' as Averman had begun calling them, questioned in unison.

"Adam and Dani are back together." Averman restated, "I'm spreading along the Duck gossip."

Piper chuckled, "So _that's _why Mrs. Banks has been so ecstatic for the past couple of days." She remembered back, "Monica, too. Oh my gosh, this is amazing! Hey, why didn't Julie tell me about this?"

"She doesn't know yet." Averman said, "Dwayne just called me to tell me. Julie is going to be the last to know… Well, she'll be telling Portman, so that makes _him_ the last to know, but she'll be the…"

"Shut up, Averman." Terry ordered, knowing that Averman would have gone on and on if he'd been given the chance, "So, are you going to call Julie?" Averman shook his head, "Who _are_ you going to call?"

For dramatic effect, Averman thought for a minute. Terry glared and Piper scoffed, "Ken and Russ." Averman finally said, realizing that he was going a little too far, "They'll call Julie."

Piper raised her eyebrows at Averman, "You know what, Aves? I'll call Ken and Russ. With time zone changes and stuff, we don't know what they're doing right now and you… Well, you'd probably keep talking until they just hang up on you for fear of being late to something important." Averman attempted to look insulted, but it didn't work out too well.

"That's okay." He replied, "I have some work that I have to do."

Piper nodded as Averman said his goodbyes and walked back in the direction that he'd come. She pulled out her phone and dialed Kenny's cell phone number. He didn't have any classes late in the day, Piper knew that, but she wasn't totally sure about Russ, "Hello Mini-Julie." Kenny said as he picked up his phone.

"Hi Ken." Piper replied, smiling slightly at her nickname. People constantly mused on how much she and her sister looked alike.

"What can I do for you?" Kenny asked, his tone brotherly.

Smiling, Piper replied, "Just pass this news on to Russ and my sister. Adam and Dani are dating again." Kenny was silent, "Ken? Ken, are you there?"

"Did I just hear you correctly?" Ken asked, "Adam and Dani, Adam Banks and Dani Portman, are back together? As in, for real? No joke?"

"So says Averman." Piper replied, "I'm guessing the news has been spreading since sometime around eight or nine Eastern Time; you know how fast Duck gossip travels. Jesse or Charlie started it, I'm sure." Piper paused, "Anyway, tell Russ and then call Julie. I think the plan is for her tell Dean."

"I'm on it." Ken said.

"Good. Thanks, Kenny."

"Welcome." He replied and they hung up. He hopped out of the chair that he was sitting in, strolled out of his room, and went to look for Russ. The whole Tyler family had been in town for a week until the day before, so Russ was probably in the library catching up on some ignored homework. Turning, Kenny found himself in front of said library. He entered and scanned the floor. Nothing. So, Ken walked to the stairs and climbed them. Once he was on the second floor, Ken smiled. Bingo.

Ken walked up behind Russ and tapped him on the shoulder, "Gah!" Russ hissed under his breath, "Ken, man, what are you doing?"

"Duck Grapevine, Russ." Ken informed him, "Adam and Dani are a-go again."

Russ furrowed his eyebrows, "Don't lie to me man. That's not funny."

Shaking his head, Ken replied, "I'm not… At least, I think I'm not." He thought for a moment before continuing, "Anyway, that's not the point. We need to call Julie and tell her. I'm pretty sure that she and Portman are the only ones that don't know." Russ stared at Ken and glanced down at the page of work in front of him. He was torn because, while he would have loved to call Julie, he desperately _needed_ to get work done, "Hey, how about I call her and say that the news comes from both of us."

Sighing, Russ said, "Thanks man. I seriously need to finish this; it's nearly a fifth of my grade this semester." He then grumbled about hating his English professor and went back to his paper. Ken smiled, clapped Russ on the shoulder, and proceeded to leave.

As soon as he was out of the library, Ken pulled out his cell phone and called Julie (who was in his phonebook under Cat-lady), "Kenny?" Julie's voice asked, "Wow, it's amazing to hear from you."

"It's amazing to be heard from." Ken replied, "Sorry if I've been a little anti social. Russ told you that I took on a huge load and that I'm getting back into figure skating, right?"

"Right." Julie said, "How's that going, by the way? Are you going to be doing anything major soon? I know that Dani said that there are a few exhibitions just around the corner."

Shaking his head, Ken said, "Nothing like that just yet. I'm just getting back into the groove of things and making sure that I'm not too rusty. Besides, I'm not sure that I'll even go very far with it." There was silence for a minute, "But anyway, there is a reason I called. Piper called Russ and I and told us that Adam and Dani are a couple again."

Silence waved over Ken as Julie comprehended what he'd just said, "WHAT?" She screamed, "Piper said what? How does she know? When did she hear this?" Julie babbled on for a few minutes while she tried to contain herself. Ken didn't really hear anything that she said babbled.

"Julie?" Ken asked as silence reached him, "I think that the Grapevine got passed along and she intercepted it. Averman probably told her and she decided to call me in his stead. Plus, if it's true, which I'm sure it is, Mrs. Banks must be over the moon. She loves Dani. Piper would have noticed a major change in Mrs. Banks' mood."

Julie agreed and said, "Okay, so everyone probably knows already. Everyone except…" She chuckled, "Dean. They waited to call me so that Dean would be the last to know." She laughed again but Ken didn't know what to say, "Thanks for calling, Kenny. I appreciate it. I'll tell Dean when he gets back from the store."

"No problem, Cat-lady." Ken replied, "Hey, on a long weekend or something, we should get together. I know that Russ was planning on going back to LA when he can. I'll come with him and we can all meet up somewhere."

"Sounds like a plan." Julie said, "We'll work things out later, though. Dean's coming up the driveway so I'll talk to you later." Kenny agreed and they hung up. Julie lightly squeaked to herself and bounded towards the door. Dean walked in and had barely put down his purchases before Julie jumped into his arms, "Hi!"

Slightly confused, but not at all unhappy, Dean asked, "Does this mean that you're happy to see me?"

"Ecstatic." Julie replied as she pressed his lips to his and kissed him furiously. Dean moaned and wrapped his arms even tighter around her; he thoroughly enjoyed where this was going. After a moment, however, he didn't. Julie squirmed to get out of his arms, so Dean held her even tighter, "Dean," She mumbled under their kiss, "put me down."

"I don't wanna." Dean whined, still kissing her.

"We need to talk." Julie replied, garnering a groan from her adorable boyfriend. Pouting, Dean placed her on the ground, "Don't give me that look; we can get back to that." Dean smiled, "But I just got a call from Ken." Dean raised his eyebrows, but didn't say anything, "He was passing on Duck news."

Dean chuckled, "Ducks just can't stop gossiping." He mused, "So, what happened? Did Goldie win a national eating contest, or did Connie and Guy have a shotgun wedding? Or, is it Fulton and Tammy that had the shotgun wedding?"

Shaking her head, Julie said, "None of that. No weddings, no eating contests. It's a little closer to home."

"Huh?" Dean asked.

"Adam and Dani are back together. They're dating again." Julie watched as her boyfriend went through an amazing range of emotions. First he was confused, then shocked, then angry, then happy, angry again, euphoric, and… Finally, giddy.

"I cannot believe that she didn't tell me." Dean mumbled, "What the hell is up with that?" Julie breathed a sigh of relief. Dean had only been angry because he'd been the last to know and because Dani hadn't been the one to tell him, "She probably told mom and dad, though. They'd have killed her if she didn't."

Clearing her throat, Julie asked, "Dean, baby, are you okay with this?"

"Are you kidding?" Dean asked, "I'm thrilled. Sure, the preppy is going to have to watch himself, but Dan is finally with the person she wants to be with. There's the added bonus that Adam isn't a total loser. Dani's been stuck with a lot of those in her time." Thinking for a minute, Dean said, "Hey, Jules, could you start putting the groceries away? I don't want anything to spoil and I need to make a call."

"Dean…" Julie said warningly.

Sighing, Dean defended himself, "I'm not going to chew him out or anything, I just need to talk to him." Julie raised her eyebrows, but picked up the groceries and walked into the kitchen, "Thanks, babe." Dean said as he pulled out his cell phone and dialed Adam's phone.

"Hello Portman." Adam's expectant voice said as he answered his phone, "Great timing, Dani just left literally two minutes ago."

That was all the proof Dean need, "So it's true then? You two are back together."

"It's true." Adam replied, "We got back together on Halloween." He paused before sarcastically calling, "Thanks, Jess!"

"You're welcome!" Jesse's voice called back.

Dean furrowed his eyebrows as Adam attention returned to their conversation, "How do you know that it's Jesse that started the gossip?" He asked, "Charlie could have just as easily…"

"No he couldn't have." Adam broke him, "Charlie hasn't had the time; he's been with his girlfriend all day and the last thing that Charlie is going to do with Teresa around is call the Ducks about Dani and I." Dean thought for a moment, "What?"

"Isn't Teresa Dani's roommate?"

Adam chuckled. Hopefully he hadn't inadvertently started up another Grapevine, "Yes." He shook his head, "Is there something you wanted other than to ask me whether or not the rumors were true?"

Thinking, Dean replied, "Yes. Do you remember when you and Dani got back together the first time? When Abigail Johanson spilled about you two in the cafeteria?" Adam remembered, "And do you remember the conversation we had afterwards, when we were alone?"

"Vaguely." Adam replied sardonically, "Something to do with breaking my knees and hurting me."

Chuckling, Dean said, "Exactly. Well, the rules still apply. She's my sister and I'll always be watching out for her."

"I know." Adam said, "I'm not going to hurt her. I've waited too long to get her back."

"Just letting you know man." Dean said, "Tell Dani to call me."

"Will do." Adam said, "Bye."

"See you later, preppy." Dean replied as he hung up. A scoff made him turn. Julie was leaning against the doorway, shaking her head, "What?" Julie didn't say anything, she just walked up to him and hugged him, "Thanks?"

Sensing his worry, Julie said, "They'll be fine. We all know how much they love each other. Don't worry." Dean smiled, knowing that she was speaking the truth. It didn't make him any less worried, though. Both Adam and Dani had been through hell and all he wanted was for them, Dani especially, to be happy. Julie could still feel his worry, so she lifted herself onto her toes and began kissing him again. For now, Dean's worries were gone.


	25. Possible Catastrophe

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

Many thanks to Jas120, awtr101fan, and AznIntegra! You guys so _totally_ rock. Just thought you should know!

-(-)-

Just as Adam had predicted –and dreaded- he had been the beginning of another Duck Grapevine. He, Charlie, and Jesse received a call later that night. It was Tammy berating Jesse for not adding that Charlie had a girlfriend too. Without provocation she explained that Dean had turned the Grapevine around, having everyone call whoever had called them, to let them know that Charlie was also no longer single. Neither Jesse nor Charlie had talked to Dean, so they knew exactly who to blame.

Adam had found it quite funny, really. Charlie's reaction, that was. He could have sworn that his best friend would quite literally lose his head when Tammy mentioned Teresa's name. Charlie gave him absolute hell for it for days until Teresa told him to stop, that she was glad that his friends knew that they were together. With all the Duck talk that she'd heard from Jesse, Adam, Dani, and even Charlie himself, she really wanted to meet them and she didn't want her existence to be a complete shock.

After that, things were peaceful. Charlie and Teresa were often together, as were Dani and Adam. Jesse, though seemingly the odd man out, had formed a friendship with Lex and her best friend and roommate Raquel. Charlie and Adam didn't know about the depth of his friendship with the older girls, and neither did Dani or Teresa. It was something that Jesse liked keeping to himself. Charlie and Adam didn't have to know everything about him. So, when the trio received a frantic call from Dani less than a week after Charlie finally got off of Adam's case, they were all concerned and anxious.

"Hello?" Adam asked, picking up their home phone.

"Adam?" Dani asked back, her voice cracking.

"Dani?" He asked, immediately confused, "What's wrong?"

Breathing heavily, as if she were trying to keep tears from flowing, Dani replied, "I need to talk to you and Charlie. Jesse, too." She added.

"Okay." Adam replied hesitantly. Why had Jesse been added in as an afterthought? Adam wondered but didn't think on it too long, "Charlie, Jesse! Get out here." His friends complied, though were questioning bitterly about what his problem was. Adam ignored them and placed the phone on speaker and continued, "Okay, Dan, what's the deal?"

Dani's shuttered breathing and shakiness were clear through the phone. Jesse and Charlie were no longer angry, but just as confused as Adam and, truthfully, somewhat scared, "Um… Well, the reason I called was…" Dani sighed and sniffled, "Teresa and Lex were driving to their mom's place last night and got hit by a drunk driver…"

Before Dani could continue, a resounding "WHAT!" rang through the penthouse. It came from all three of the boys.

"Yeah, I went to sleep early last night, so I thought she was going to be home after I went to bed." Dani admitted, clearly thinking herself a complete idiot, "But she never called and I haven't seen her since yesterday morning, so I called her mom, but I couldn't get a hold of her. I tried Jeff and he said that Elizabeth was at the hospital with them."

"Which hospital are they at?" Charlie asked feverishly.

"They're not there anymore." Dani said, "They left almost an hour ago, after the doctor's released them. Neither of them needed any surgery, so they kept them for 24 hour observation and let them leave. Teresa's over at her mom's and Lex's roommate picked her up and took her home."

Charlie nodded to himself, raced to his room, and reemerged as he pulled on his jacket, "I'm going over to Elizabeth's place to see Teresa, don't wait up for me." He said quickly as he raced out the door.

Adam, however, was too preoccupied with keeping his girlfriend calm to take any notice of Charlie, "Sweetie, relax." He said, "Look, where are you? I'll come get you and bring you back here, okay?" Dani agreed and Adam hung up, "You don't mind me bringing her here, do you? I don't think she wants to be in her dorm alone." He asked Jesse.

"Of course not, man." Jesse replied, "Why would I? I'm going go out though; for a walk." He said, leaving before Adam could say anything. Luckily, he'd already been wearing a sweater for the comfort aspect of the attire. Now it would also serve to keep him warm as he made his way to Lex and Raquel's condo.

Taking the metro, it wasn't very far to Lex's. In fact, it only took Jesse ten minutes from the second he stepped out of the penthouse to when he stepped off of the elevator on the top floor of the condominium complex that Lex and Raquel called home. He quickly strode to the door and rang the doorbell, sighing heavily

"Hey, Jess." Raquel said as she opened the door, "I take it you heard."

Jesse nodded, "Yeah, how is she?"

Sighing, Raquel replied, "She's okay. I've made her stay in bed since I brought her home. She broke her arm, but it wasn't so bad that they needed to do surgery, and she has a massive concussion. They told me to wake her up every couple of hours if she fell asleep. She got the worst of it; Teresa's a little better off." She sighed again, "Come on in."

"Thanks." Jesse replied. He hadn't even thought about coming in for some reason. Entering the luxurious, yet still homey, living room of the condo, Jesse asked, "What happened? I mean, I heard about a drunk driver, but I didn't get details."

Raquel sat down on a stool by the bar on the opposite side of the living room, "Well, according to the police reports, the freak was twice the legal limit for being drunk. We're lucky no one was killed. Anyway, he was behind Lex and Teresa on the road, but started swerving and stuff. He ended up next to them and swerved again, knocking their car into a ditch. He hit a pole about two miles down the road, but he didn't get hurt. How's that for irony?"

"Dumbass." Jesse hissed, "Where's the karmic justice?"

"Nonexistent in today's society." Raquel seethed, pulling a ginger ale out of cooler behind the bar, "Here, you're not legal to drink yet, so take this."

"Like legality has ever stopped anyone." Jesse said, taking the ginger ale nonetheless. He opened it and took a long swig as Raquel pulled out an Italian soda, "Can I see her? Is she up for visitors?"

"Are you kidding?" Raquel asked, taking a sip of her drink, "She's been bitching to me about making her stay in bed. She's bored. So I would say "yes", you can see her." She pulled out another Italian soda, "And bring her this."

Jesse took it and nodded, turning in the direction that he knew that their bedrooms were. The girls had given him a tour of their "humble abode" the first day that they had spent together, the day that he'd found out that Dani and Adam were back together, and a fair amount of his free time was spent with Raquel and Lex so he knew where everything was. They were really nice girls who had terrible taste in men, he'd learned quickly.

Knocking on Lex's bedroom door, Jesse waited. He didn't have to wait long, "Go away, Raq. I have a major headache!"

"Well, I see how it is!" Jesse called back lightheartedly, "I see that I'm not wanted."

"Jesse?" Lex asked.

Chuckling, Jesse opened the door and replied, "Who'd you expect? The tooth fairy? Aren't you a little too old to believe in old wives tales like that?"

Lex chuckled, "Come in."

Jesse did as he was told and entered Lex's room. It looked just like any normal person's room, painted Lex's favorite colors (green and blue) with all the furniture one might expect in a bedroom; a dresser, bedside tables, a large desk in the corner with a laptop resting on it, chairs, a futon, and Lex's gigantic bed. The only thing that distinguished Lex's room from other rooms was the walk-in closet. Lex called it spacious; Jesse called it obscenely huge.

Lex was sitting in her large bed reading _Les Miserables. _She smiled as Jesse entered, saving her place and putting the book down. He noticed that her hair was pulled back into a perfect ponytail. Shaking his head, Jesse said, "Just like you. You were in a car crash and you still took time to put your hair up this morning."

"It serves a purpose, doofus." Lex replied, "I cracked my head against the window, see?" She turned her head and he saw a large bruise above and to the side of her left eye. There was also a small gash near the center of the bruise, "If I don't keep my hair up then it will brush against the cut. I don't deal well with pain."

"I think you've mentioned that once or twice." Jesse quipped. Once or twice an hour, maybe, "Here," He said, handing her the soda, "Raquel told me to give this to you."

"Thanks." Lex replied, opening the soda and taking a drink, "So, since you're here I'm assuming that Charlie and Adam know as well. How's Charlie doing?"

Jesse shrugged, "I don't know. He ran off so fast, I couldn't tell. He's worried, I'm sure."

"Teresa's fine." Lex assured him, "A sprained wrist and a much more minor concussion that I have. A couple of bruises, too. Nothing big for Charlie to worry over. I think he'll have to comfort her, though. Tess gets freaked out easily."

Raising his eyebrows, Jesse asked, "Tess?"

"Her nickname." Lex clarified, taking another drink of soda, "We don't call her that too often and there are only a few people that she let's call her it." Jesse nodded and sat down on Lex's bed, "Thanks for coming to check on me, Jess. You're a great guy."

"I do try." Jesse replied, placing one hand on Lex's, "I'm glad you're okay."

Smiling, Lex said, "So do I." Jesse leaned over and gave Lex a kiss on the cheek, far enough away from her bruise that he didn't rub against it. He pulled back slightly and Lex turned her head to look at him. He was so sweet and she wondered why she couldn't meet more guys like him. Quite intentionally, Lex leaned over and kissed Jesse's lips. Jesse responded positively.

After a moment or so, the two pulled apart and groaned, "Well…" Jesse said, "That was counterproductive."

"I know what you mean." Lex moaned, "Damn it! You're the nicest guy I've met in a while and kissing you is like… Well, not so awkward is kissing my brother, but… Like... I don't know."

Thinking for a moment, Jesse sighed, "Yeah. You're not like a sister…"

"A cousin!" Lex called out, "Kissing you is like kissing a really close cousin. Not as weird as my brother, but still pretty strange." Jesse agreed with a nod, "This is unfortunate." The two looked at each other and couldn't help but burst into hysterical laughter.

-(-)-

There was no laughter for Charlie. He was scared, worried, and all around freaked out. His feelings for Teresa were at the stage where they confused him, but didn't. He cared about her more than anything, but did he truly love her? He wasn't sure, but he was willing to find out.

There was a big possibility that Charlie had been speeding most of the time as he made his way from the penthouse to Elizabeth's home. He thanked his lucky stars that he hadn't gotten pulled over. It didn't dawn on him until he reached his destination that, though he wanted to get to Teresa as quickly as possible, he was no better than the jerk that had hit her with the way he was driving. Sighing to himself, Charlie stalked up to the front door and rang the doorbell.

"Hello, Charlie." Elizabeth said sweetly as she opened the door, "I figured I'd see you here soon. Come on in."

"Thanks Elizabeth." Charlie replied with a forced smile. He didn't feel like smiling, but Elizabeth deserved one, "How is she?"

Sighing heavily, Elizabeth answered, "Better than Lex. A sprained wrist, some bruises, and a small concussion. She'll be fine in a day or two. I've asked if she's okay and she says that she is, but I know my daughter. She is internalizing. She's up in her room, if you want to see her." Charlie nodded his head, "Follow me." Elizabeth said, as Charlie had no idea where Teresa's room was.

Elizabeth reached a door at the far south end of the house and knocked on the door, "Yes, mother." Teresa called back to the knock, clearly tired by the sound of her speech. Her voice made Charlie's heart soar.

Elizabeth opened the door and looked in, "Sweetheart, Charlie's here." She opened the door and walked in. Charlie followed and Teresa smiled when she saw him. He smiled back and Elizabeth quickly bowed out of the room. Her footsteps went down the hall and descended the stairs.

The moment Elizabeth's footsteps stopped, Charlie rushed over to Teresa and hugged her. Teresa wrapped her arms around him in a vice grip and he felt her sobbing, "Shh." He whispered in an attempt to console her, "You're fine." This, Charlie could tell, was her internalizing coming out.

"I was so scared." Teresa admitted in a hushed, ragged voice, "It all happened so fast. I thought Lex was dead. She was the last thing that I saw before I blacked out. Her head had cracked against the window and there was blood and she was unconscious and… I remember thinking about you."

"Me?" Charlie asked, squeezing her closer, "Why me?"

Teresa pulled away and looked into his eyes, "Because I was scared that I wouldn't see you again. I care about you, Charlie, and… I think I'm falling for you." The last part she added, continually getting quieter as she spoke. It was as if she wasn't sure she should be admitting what she was.

Charlie pulled her into another deep hug and kissed her cheek, "I think I'm falling for you too." He whispered into her ear. After a moment, Charlie pulled back and gently took Teresa's injured arm from around his neck. She watched in confusion as he lifted her arm and brushed his lips to her sprained wrist.

"Charlie…" Teresa started, not sure at all what she was going to say next.

After a moment of silence, Charlie lifted himself off of his knees and sat down next to her on the bed. He wrapped his arms around her as she snuggled into his chest, "I'm so happy that you're okay. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been." Teresa said as she had to by not saying anything.

The couple sat there for a moment in silence and ended up falling asleep. Elizabeth came back up an hour or so later and almost left. She didn't want to disturb them, they were just so cute, but she had dinner ready. Teresa and Charlie panicked when they realized where they were and just who had woken them up, but Elizabeth told them to relax, "Dinner's ready. Come down and get it."

-(-)-

Though confused by Jesse's quick departure, Adam nonetheless followed his friend out of the penthouse. Jesse had turned left, but Adam turned right to the enclosed parking lot around the back of the building. As quickly as possible, Adam raced off towards the library on the BC campus; where Dani told him to pick her up.

It didn't take Adam long to get there, even with him respecting the speed limit. Dani was pacing outside of the door, wringing her hands and chewing on her lip. Adam honked and she ran over to the car, jumping in at stop speed. Lying against the headrest, Dani sighed. Adam leaned over and kissed her on the temple.

Dani shot him an appreciative smiled, "Thanks for coming to get me."

"No problem, sweetie." Adam replied as he drove off campus, "You know that they'll be fine. The doctor's wouldn't have released them if they'd showed any signs of problems."

"I hate doctors." Dani mumbled with a shutter.

Sighing, Adam said, "I know." He also knew that Dani would not want to get on the subject of doctors any further so he dropped it. They reached the penthouse parking lot after a lengthy drive of silence. Neither of them could think of anything to say to the other, so they just didn't say anything at all.

The walk up to the penthouse was just as quiet and the silence was only broken after Adam closed the door behind him and said, "Can I get you anything? Water or something?"

"Do you still have some of that chamomile tea that you're mom sent you?" Dani asked, "That stuff was really good."

"Coming right up." Adam replied, "Sit, relax, don't worry." He added, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and kissing her on the cheek. Dani did as instructed and sat down whilst Adam went into the kitchen and made her tea. She knew that she had to be positive or else she wouldn't be able to function properly.

Breathing deeply, Dani attempted to let herself relax on the couch. It worked a little and sooner then she'd expected, Adam was handing her a hot mug full of tea, "Thanks, baby." Adam leaned over and kissed her, careful not to knock the mug in her hand. That was just what they needed. A trip to the hospital for burns…

Adam turned and went back into the kitchen as Dani sipped her tea. He soon returned with a bottle of water and sat down with her. Dani drank her tea in silence. She was slow in doing so and Adam noticed that whenever she put her mug down, Dani would pick at the skin around her thumbnails. He recognized that habit. It was something that she'd done when they were together. It meant that she was internally battling herself.

"What are you thinking?" Adam asked.

"Nothing." Dani replied convincingly. Adam shook his head; he'd observed her too much during their first time together to not see the signs, "What?"

"I know you." Adam said, taking her hand in his and rubbing the now torn skin around her thumbnail, "I know that you're thinking about something."

Sighing, Dani admitted, "I know that you're right. That I shouldn't worry. I can't help it, though. I'm just trying to convince myself that everything will be all right." She took a deep breath, "I'm trying but it's hard because all I can think about is going back to my dorm room. It'll be empty; I don't like empty."

Thinking for a minute, Adam said, "Stay here tonight, then."

"I beg your pardon?"

Nodding, Adam repeated, "Stay here. It's Saturday tomorrow, so no worries about missing class. The pull-out couch is really comfortable, I promise." Dani stared at him with an eyebrow raised. Was he really being serious? "You said you didn't like empty and it won't be empty. Plus, you'll be able to talk to Charlie about Teresa."

"Um…" Dani said, not sure of what else she could possibly say.

"Dan, you'd be staying the night on the couch." Adam replied, trying to defuse a possible catastrophe, "It's not like anything would happen."

Thinking for a minute, Dani took a sip of tea. She looked at him, bit her lip, and replied, "Why not."

Adam stood, "I'll get you some sheets and blankets." Dani thanked him as he walked out of the room. She sighed and went back to her tea once he was out of her view.


	26. Deadbeat Dads

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

**AznIntegra-** Thanks! Yes, Charlie and Teresa are figuring out how they feel about each other and it is super cute. Seriously, the two of them in my head when I'm writing make me want to squee like a fangirl. As for Lex and Jesse, they can't get together because, as they just learned, they don't have those types of feelings for each other. They are more like family than anything and dating a family member… Well that's just icky!

-(-)-

Thomas Adair had had a long several weeks. First and foremost, his constantly infuriating son was getting closer to Lucian Walsh and Aimee –a feat, Thomas learned quickly, his daughters were helping achieve. While that was only the tip of the iceberg, most of his issues were minuscule and had been quickly dispatched of. That being said, they were still annoying, yet he was glad to be finished with them. His most recent irritant was the minor car accident that his daughters had been in. It had been so overblown by the media that it was ridiculous. A few bumps and scratches was not something to get worried about.

After his terrible weeks, Thomas looked forward to giving himself a vacation, something that he did not do often. But Thomas felt he deserved it so he planned on taking a week for himself and relaxing. The last place he wanted to go was a spa or a beach or something along those lines because he didn't find those kinds of places relaxing. New York sounded nice. Or maybe Los Angeles. Big cities appealed to Thomas because he found relaxing to watch everyone else race around like rats while he didn't have to.

Walking out of _his _building, Thomas took a deep breath. He wanted to get home and go to sleep. That, unfortunately, wasn't going to happen, "Hello Thomas."

"Lucian," Thomas replied bitterly, "What can I do for you?"

Lucian Walsh strode up to Thomas with a smile on his face, "You could have a little more tact than you've had in the past."

"Meaning?" Thomas asked, bored.

Shaking his head, Lucian replied, "Meaning you know as well as I do how close Aimee and Jeff are getting again. Your obsession with control hurt my daughter once, Thomas. I don't want it to happen again."

Thomas chuckled bitterly, "Trust me, if I had my way, my son would have never tried pursuing your daughter again. In fact, he would have never pursued her in the first place."

"I know." Lucian said, "Because you see me as competition. I'm the rich man's Johnson & Johnson and you are the bigger, better, badder Donald Trump, yet you still see me as competition. I don't care how you perceive me, Thomas. Your son is a good man and if he and Aimee decide to give their relationship another chance," Thomas cringed, "don't do anything about it. It's their choice, not ours."

"Are you finished?" Thomas asked, "I really would like to get home."

Lucian shook his head, "And you wonder why nobody likes you." Lucian turned on his heel and walked away.

Thomas stared after him for a moment, enraged, and was going to continue walking to his car before another voice stopped him, "Yeah, you wonder why nobody likes you yet you pull crap like doing unnecessarily extensive background checks people you don't even know."

Turning towards the voice, Thomas looked over the young man in front of him. Tall, dark hair, athletic build, "Charles Conway."

"Most days." Charlie replied, "I would say that it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Adair, but it really isn't." Thomas raised his eyebrows. The boy had the gall to talk to him that way without the slightest hint of hesitation. It was impressive.

"Well I can't say that I'm all that excited to meet you, Charles." Thomas almost spat out, "To what do I owe this meeting."

"Confusion." Charlie replied simply, "Massive confusion."

"How so?" Thomas asked, his voice still full of distain.

Sighing heavily, Charlie answered him with a question, "How is it that a man doesn't show the slightest amount of worry when his daughters are in a car crash? You didn't call to see how they were; you didn't do anything. You just went about your day as if nothing were wrong."

"The media over-blew the whole thing."

"The hell it did!" Charlie shot back, "Concussions, broken bones, sprained wrists… How is that over-blowing anything? The guy had twice the legal blood-alcohol level."

"And yet they are fine."

Shaking his head in disbelief, Charlie didn't know what to say. How could anyone be so cold and distant? "You're a class act, Mr. Adair."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"It wasn't meant as one." Charlie replied, "I don't think you realize how the public perceives you. To them, to your customers, you're a tyrant and an all around jack off."

"But they still buy from me." Thomas stated obviously, "I don't care if they like me, Charles. I get their money and they get what they want. If they don't like me, why should I care? It is better to be fear than to be loved."

Chuckling, Charlie replied, "You believe that?" Thomas nodded, "Jeez, there is no hope for people like you." With that, he turned and walked away. Thomas stared after him, baffled and speechless.

-(-)-

Casey Conway was anxious. She hadn't heard from her son in a while and she didn't like it. Of course he was away at college and therefore more likely to be preoccupied, but she was his mother and she wanted to occasionally speak with him. That, however, wasn't her only problem. For some reason that only God knew, Casey had gotten a call the day before from none other than her first husband, and Charlie's father, Marc Barker. He was in jail –big surprise. What was it with her and marrying men who get incarcerated?- and he wanted to talk with her in person.

For all of Casey's faults, she knew that her biggest one was her curiosity. As much as her gut told her to run in the opposite direction, she was too curious to do so. So while she berated herself for being a complete moron, Casey was on her way to the jail that her first ex-husband was locked up in.

It took mere minutes for Casey to get through security. She sat down in a small space that was enclosed on three sides; one of the sides was a mirror in which she would see Marc. Casey sighed heavily as she sat down. Her gut was still screaming at her to get up and leave, but something wasn't letting her. It wasn't love for her ex-husband, she knew that much. She had loved him once and he had ruined any love that she had felt for him. Her love for him then was not even close to what she felt for Gordon.

The door to the prisoner holdings opened and guards began filing prisoners in. For several minutes, she didn't see anyone that looked utterly familiar and they, in turn, went on to other places to talk to whomever they have coming to see them. Then she saw him. Marcus Barker. He was still as tall as she remembered, but that was the only thing that hadn't changed. Marc's dark hair was graying and his face looked like it had been stretched way to tight over his cheeks but not tight enough around his jaw. His eyes were dull and had little life in them. For all his changes, though, Casey had no trouble realizing who she was looking at. He sat down in front of Casey and pulled the phone on his right side off of the hook. Casey did the same.

"Hey Case."

"What the hell do you want?"

Marc chuckled, "Still have that fire in you. I always like that about you."

"Cut the crap." Casey replied bitterly, "What do you want? I don't hear from you for fourteen years, not that I'm complaining, and all of the sudden you want to talk?"

Sighing heavily, Marc leaned down and pinched the bridge of his nose between the thumb and middle finger of his left hand. He had known that getting Casey to be calm was going to be harder than getting her to the jail, "Casey, I know I screwed up…"

"Really?" Casey asked sarcastically, "You? No."

"Just listen, Case." Marc said, "Please."

Casey sighed and looked down at her watch, "You've got five minutes." She told him, "I need to get out of here so that I have time to get to class."

"You went back to school?" Marc asked, clearly trying to keep their meeting pleasant. Casey nodded, still hesitant, "Let me guess… Accounting? You always did like working with numbers." Casey stayed quiet, so Marc continued, "Casey, I know I messed up. I've been paying for it for years. I lost my son, you, my life in general. I've been in and out of rehab since Charlie was four... I'm in here now because of possession."

Casey chuckled sourly, "You know what they say. It takes someone really _wanting it_ to kick addictions. I could tell, then, that you never wanted it; that the drugs were more important to you than me or Charlie. Seems to me that nothing has changed."

Marc sighed and said, "Casey, I knew that you would never forgive me for the hell I put you through. That's why I went through the divorce without a fight. I wanted us to stay together, but I knew that I'd finally given you a reason to follow through." Casey scoffed, "I know you aren't going to forgive me, but I was hoping that Charlie would."

"I… Beg your pardon?" Casey asked.

"He's eighteen now, right?" Marc replied, "I'm sure that he is. Every year, when I get a new calendar, I mark his birthday in it. I know I'm not off a year."

Shocked, Casey stumbled through her words, "Yes, he's eighteen, but what does...?"

"He's eighteen and legally an adult. That means, if he wanted to, he could talk to me or see me. I know that gave over all custody to you and that I agreed to no visitation because of the circumstances but now that he's an adult, we could talk. That's why I asked you here." Casey raised her eyebrows in confusion, "I didn't know how he would react to me calling him, particularly because he's in Boston, but I was hoping that you would him that I wanted to see him."

"What…" Casey asked before her train of thought quickly switched, "Wait a minute. How did you know that he's in Boston?"

Shaking his head, Marc replied, "Case, I've been following his entire hockey career. District five, the JGG, Eden Hall. Any time I saw Charlie mentioned in newspapers, I cut out the story. It's a hot story in local sports when two players from the best hockey team in the state continue playing for somewhere like BC. I'm a moron, Casey, I know that, but I love my son. Having all of those stories makes me feel a little bit closer to him." Casey sighed and massaged her temples; Marc was giving her a headache, "Please Case, just tell him that I want to talk with him. But let him know that he doesn't have to, just that I'd like to."

"I don't know…"

Marc breathed heavily, "It's your fiancé, isn't it?"

"What?" Casey asked.

Marc pointed out her engagement ring, "I know an engagement ring, and a damn good one at that, when I see one. Charlie really likes him, then?"

"Loves him." Casey replied, "Charlie tried pushing us together for years but something always got in the way... Until recently."

"Let me guess, you don't think that Charlie will want to see me because of _him_." He indicated her ring on the last word.

Casey sighed, "He's been like a father to Charlie for years, Marc. More than you ever were."

"It's to be expected." Marc replied, biting his lip, "Can you at least tell Charlie what I want? Please, just let him know. If he doesn't want to then he doesn't have to, but just tell him. Can you stop hating me long enough to do that for me, Casey?"

"I don't know." Casey said honestly, "Marc, I have more people to think about than me and Charlie. I have my fiancé, his kids… Too many people would be affected by this. I… honestly don't want you back in our lives and I don't think that Charlie does either. We left for a reason, Marc, and as much as you may not believe this, Charlie still remembers."

"He was only four." Marc stated.

Shaking her head, Casey replied, "I didn't say he remembers everything. He just remembers the hell that we were living in and how different it is to our lives now. I don't know if he would want to bring that up again."

"He wouldn't, or you wouldn't?"

"Both."

Chuckling resentfully, Marc insisted, "Just tell him what I want, Case. Please. If he doesn't want to open that can of worms, then fine. Just tell him."

Sighing heavily and thinking hard for something to say, Casey finally said, "I'll think about it."

"That's all I can ask."

Without another word, Casey hung up the phone that she had been talking through and stood up. She cast one more glance at Marc before turning and leaving. There had been a reason that her gut told her to stay away and now she knew what it was. It wasn't just a question of relaying her ex-husband's request to her son, but she was also going to have to tell Gordon. She wouldn't be able to call herself a decent fiancée if she didn't. Now she felt sick.


	27. Attempt to Reconcile

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

Thanks very much to awtr101fan, AznIntegra, and AlexShah! You guys are awesome and I'm sorry that I'm taking so long! College takes a lot of time; I'm doing the best that I can!

-(-)-

-Boston, Massachusetts-

Thomas Adair had yet to fully recover from his run-ins with Charlie and Lucian Walsh. That was explicitly clear by the way he went about his days; murmuring to himself and being more unpleasant than usual. His children noticed right away that something was different about him, but none of them knew what it was. The only one who really took any time to worry about it was Jeff, but he figured that it must be nothing and therefore moved on.

As Thomas went about his day trying to make everything seem normal, Jeff went about trying to get closer to Aimee. It was working, too. Jeff saw her almost every day, whether at a distance or close up. He was so close to getting her back he could feel it. Or, at least, he thought he could.

Today, however, was not going to be one of the days that he would get to see Aimee. He was working from home, much to his dismay. It was unavoidable, however, as he was attempting to work with both his father and Lucian Walsh and keep everything civil. It was going to be a day of sitting in front of his computer, something Jeff really didn't like doing. He was going to get bored very easily and he wasn't excited. Jeff liked working with actual people. Technology, for the most part, bored him.

The minutes were passing ridiculously slow as he typed. As he finished his work, Jeff looked at the clock. Sighing, he stood and stretched. Despite the fact that his work had seemed like a mountain, he had finished relatively quickly. Maybe he could somehow sneak into work and get more done, this time with actual people. No, probably not. Just because he had managed to free himself from the confines of desk work didn't mean that other people had.

Sighing heavily, Jeff muttered, "Damn it," to himself. He ran his hands through his red hair and took a deep breath. Standing, he walked to his kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. Leaning against the cabinets, he drank quietly. For once, he wasn't thinking about Aimee. He was trying to remember what Elizabeth liked –he had never really paid attention before, of course- so that he could get her a birthday present. Her birthday wasn't for another two weeks, but he really wanted her to like whatever he got her. He owed it to her.

Finishing his coffee, Jeff placed his cup into the dish washer and began preparing go out for a walk… He needed air. He pulled on his jacket as he walked to the door and jerked the door open harder than he had anticipated doing.

Another unanticipated event: Aimee was standing at the door, fist up to knock, clearly shaken by the fact that the door had opened.

"Aimee?" Jeff asked, "What… What are you doing here?"

"I…" Aimee began, "I knew you weren't at work today," She sped up every word, "and I wanted to talk to you, but I see you're going out and it's really not that important. I'll go."

"No!" Jeff said quickly, "I mean, come in. Please."

Awkwardly, and with a small "thanks," Aimee agreed and entered the luxury apartment, a place that held a lot of memories for her and Jeff.

"Can I get you something?" Jeff asked.

"No. Thank you." Aimee replied.

An awkward silence fell over the two. Jeff really wished it wouldn't. He hated awkward silences and, to him, it would have been better if they were fighting because then they would actually be getting somewhere. Loud communication was better than nothing. Groaning silently, Jeff said, "You said… you said you wanted to talk to me."

Nodding, Aimee said, "Yes."

"What?"

"I…I…" Aimee breathed, "I wanted to ask you why."

"Why what?" Jeff asked.

"Why you're doing what you're doing." Aimee asked, "Why you're trying to make me fall in love with you again."

Jeff sighed and felt a sob grow in his throat. He didn't let it out, though. He answered truthfully, "Because you were the best thing to ever happen to me. And I blew it. I needed you to know how much you actually meant to me. I couldn't let us end like we did." Aimee stared at him, speechless, "Even if this didn't work, I had to let you know that I cared."

"And you got your sisters to help."

Chuckling, Jeff shook his head, "No, I didn't. They love you Aims, they have for years. I didn't need to go searching for help; they wouldn't give me a choice."

Aimee took a breath, "They're great kids."

"They really are." Jeff agreed. He walked towards her and moved to touch her arm. Aimee unintentionally shifted away, "Jeez…" He mumbled to himself, "Aims, did you come here just for that?"

"Of course."

"Then why the hell didn't you wait?" He asked, trying not to get angry, "You could have cornered me at work or something; somewhere where we couldn't start up a scene."

Aimee sighed, "I thought we could be adults about this. That's why I came here today."

"Adults?" Jeff asked, "Aims," Aimee twitched at the nickname; Jeff groaned, "Aim_ee_, you know the way I feel. Every time I see you, I have to work to not become that 17 year old kid that fell in love with you ten years ago. I have to make sure that I don't make a fool of myself."

Jeff sighed, remembering the day they met. Lucian Walsh's company was booming and, of course, Thomas Adair had to scope out the competition. Thomas invited Lucian, his wife Jeanne-Mariette, and Aimee to brunch (he had made sure that Elizabeth, Lex, and Teresa were out of town that day) under the guise of possible future inter-company dealing. Jeff had not been excited; he had known his father's true motives and had no desire to be a part of them.

That had all changed when he saw Aimee. She was beautiful and he immediately felt himself attracted to her. He had internally battled with himself, trying to convince himself that he shouldn't feel anything, that she would end up hating him because of his father anyway. But he couldn't help it. Jeff had even tried to use her age, fifteen at the time, as a legitimate reason to not like her.

Jeff could barely recall anything about that brunch other than Aimee. It's feelings for her grew every time he saw her, but Jeff managed not to act on them until he was twenty-three. She reciprocated his feelings and they were together for a year and a half before that fateful day in Times Square.

"The brunch?" Aimee asked, "Is that what you're thinking about?" Jeff nodded and Aimee laughed lightly.

"What?"

Shaking her head, Aimee replied, "It's nothing." Jeff shot her a look, "Really… It's just that… After that brunch, later that night when my father was asleep, I told my mother that I thought I'd found the man I was going to marry."

Staring with his mouth gaped open, Jeff stood in shock. He had never thought that she felt the same that he did on their first meeting. Afterwards, of course, but he thought he'd made to totally ass of himself during the brunch. Trying to talk to a girl while simultaneously trying to convince yourself to dislike her was not a way to make a good impression, Jeff learned quickly.

Aimee went on, "I thought that you were taking me to Times Square to propose."

Jeff felt his heart wrenching. He'd wanted to, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He had been too scared of what his father would think. He walked over to Aimee and placed his hand in hers. She didn't move away, "Aimee… I'm sorry for everything I've put you through."

"I know." Aimee replied, "I've been trying to not forgive you, but I don't think I can anymore. You deserve to be forgiven." Jeff wasn't too sure about that, "Jeff… There's something else that I can't do anymore."

"What's that?"

Taking a breath, Aimee said, "Staying away from you."

-(-)-

-Minneapolis, Minnesota-

Nausea had set in as Casey paced back and forth in the dining room. Gordon had yet to get home and she dreaded the time that he would. It had been several days since her meeting with Marc and she had yet to tell Gordon about it. She knew the longer she waited, the harder it would be to tell him. That in mind, Casey was pacing, preparing to tell the man she considered the love of her life that she'd met up with an ex. The thought made her sick. She knew that she hadn't done anything morally wrong, but that didn't soothe her.

Luckily for Casey, Myrka was away for a weekend choir retreat, Julian was spending the night at a friend's house, and Avalon was staying with Anne –the elder woman had practically begged Casey to allow her to take the toddler one Saturday of every month. This was lucky because if Gordon took the news worse than she thought he would, none of the children would be around to hear it. Above all, Casey feared Gordon's reaction. Scenarios, mostly of the "worst case" variety, had flashed across her head as she contemplated telling her fiancé her news. Most of them ended with Gordon in a fit of rage; with him calling off their engagement and claiming that he couldn't trust her. Tears dripped down Casey's cheeks and she choked momentarily on her own shuttering breaths.

After several minutes, Casey recomposed herself; she did so just as Gordon drove up the drive way. This caused her to panic once again, but she managed to keep herself in control of her emotions and her tears. She heard the door open and Gordon sigh as he walked in. He was always slightly more stressed than usual when his work with the JGG required him to go somewhere other than his spacious office, which was situated down the hallway from the room where Casey was standing. He liked working at home and having to travel or working elsewhere other then home always made him a little less relaxed than ideal.

The sound of more sighing reached Casey's ears. She also heard things falling to the floor –most likely Gordon's coat and/or briefcase- and something plopping onto the couch. Casey smiled, still scared, and walked into the room. Gordon was sitting on the couch, eyes closed and head tilted back, with a look of exhaustion about him. She walked over without his noticing and kissed his exposed lips. Gordon smiled and opened his eyes.

"Hello beautiful." He mumbled.

"Hello handsome." Casey replied with a smile, "Long day?"

Gordon sighed, "Could have been worse." Casey laughed, but Gordon cocked his head to the side. The light created shadows on her face, so he couldn't be sure if he was seeing what he thought he was seeing, "Sweetheart, have you been crying?"

"Erm…" Casey replied hesitantly, "It's nothing, honey."

"Uh-huh… Anyone tell you that you're a terrible liar?" Gordon asked, sitting up and turning to look at her. Casey squirmed; of course they had, "Casey, what happened?"

Shaking her head, Casey mumbled so low that Gordon could barely hear her, "Just me being stupid."

"Huh?" Gordon asked, "What does that mean?" He stood and walked over to her. His brows were furrowed in worry and the look make Casey feel sicker than she already did. She had no idea what to tell him that would make everything work out; the thought made her cry again, much to the confusion of her fiancé, "Honey?"

Taking a moment to get control over herself, Casey silently debated. She knew that the truth was always the best course of action, but she wasn't sure if she could take that course. Breathing deeply, Casey firmly made up her mind, "I…" Sighing heavily, she continued, "Remember last week, when I said I was had a couple of errands to take care of before I went to class?" Gordon nodded, "I didn't go to run errands. It was just an excuse."

Raising his eyebrow, Gordon tentatively asked, "Where did you go?"

Gulping, Casey said, "It's a really long story." She groaned, "I got a call that day before from my ex."

"Jake?"

Shaking her head, Casey replied, "No, Marc."

Realization dawned on Gordon; he sighed, "Charlie's father."

"_Biological_ father." Casey practically snapped, stressing the word to its limit, "You are his father; you have been for years. You're better than he ever was." She heaved through her nose. Calming herself, she continued, "He wanted to talk to me… In person. I assume it was because he knew I would hang up on him."

"And you went to see him?" Casey nodded, "Um… Why?"

"Pathetic curiosity." Casey replied, "He's in jail; big shocker." Sighing again, she continued, "He wanted to talk about Charlie; he asked me if I would get Charlie to talk to him, if only once, now that Charlie's eighteen."

Taking a deep breath, Gordon asked, "What did you say?"

"That I'd have to think about it." Casey replied; Gordon was silent. She cringed at the silence, wondering if him blowing up at her –as she thought he would- would have been better then the silence. Taking the chance she went on, "I don't know if I will. I don't want him thinking that he has a free pass back into our lives." She turned to him; he stood there, dumbfounded, "Say something!"

Thinking for a moment, Gordon asked, "What do you want me to say?"

"I don't know." Casey replied, panicking, "This whole time, I've been thinking of your reaction."

"What'd you think would happen?" Casey fiddled with her engagement ring; the whole of her attention going to it. Gordon looked down at it, "Casey?"

Sniffling, Casey murmured so low that Gordon couldn't believe what he heard, "That you would leave me. Kick me out…"

"_What_?" Gordon asked in shock, "You thought that I'd…"

"I'm scared that you will." Casey replied. Gordon noted her use of present tense.

Giving his mind a moment to wrap around what she had just said, Gordon pinched the bridge of his nose between the fingers of his right hand and sighed, "How could… How _can_ you think that?" He asked in disbelief.

"Well, you're currently not giving me any reason to think otherwise." Casey shot back, "The way you're acting right now… This is _exactly_ what I was afraid of." Her breathing became ragged and tears began falling again. Lowing herself into a chair and placing her head in her hands, Casey cried bitterly.


	28. Moving Forward

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

**awtr101fan-** Thanks! I really wanted Jeff and Aimee's reunion to be sweet, but slightly painful. That's how it gets when people actually confront their breakups and I really wanted to be genuine and real with it. I'm glad you liked it. I have a feeling that things will get better for them, but they will still have challenges. Yeah, Casey is psyching and stressing herself out, but she loves Gordon and, again, that's what happens sometimes. I've seen people make themselves sick worrying about their significant other, so that's what I made Casey do. I hope you like what happens next. Thanks again.

**AznIntegra-** Yes, college is exceptionally draining, but it is _so _much better than high school. I may have had more energy, but it was a terrible experience. Oh well, no need to think about that now. Casey did put herself into a bind, but I have a feeling that she'll be fine. As for Charlie and Teresa, I didn't put them into this chapter for a reason. The chapter was about fixing relationships. Charlie and Teresa are fine for the moment. Thanks for reviewing!

Thanks to CarterOniell!

**A/N: **Thanks again to everyone for waiting so patiently. I'm so sorry I took so long. Also, I'm sorry for the short length of this chapter. It's necessary to get where we need to go. Forgive me and enjoy! Please?

-(-)-

-Minneapolis, Minnesota-

Casey was in the kitchen, sitting at the table and working on homework, groaning in irritation at the numbers in front of her. It wasn't that it was hard. Hell, she could do this stuff when she was nineteen. The fact of the matter was it was boring. She tapped her pencil on the table in irritation for several minutes until she felt hands resting on her shoulders. Immediately the pencil stopped.

"Relax, dear." Gordon said, "The sooner you get it done, the happier you will be." Casey didn't reply. It had been a little more than a week since she told him about going to see Marc and she had yet to fully comprehend everything that happened. After her fearful reveal, Gordon had profusely claimed that her line of thinking had been absurd. He had come up to her, placed his hands on her arms gently, and looked into her eyes (she had tried to look away, but couldn't and eventually gave in and looked at him), telling her that he loved her and he wasn't going to leave her just because she went to see her ex. _"That's not something you had to keep from me." _He had said.

That wasn't the last of it, though. Gordon had moved his hands from her arms to her face and kissed her lovingly, something that made Casey both ecstatic and shameful. She knew he loved her and, now, she couldn't imagine her choice being any big deal. Why she had made it such, Casey didn't know. She was sure that it had something to do with the amount of times she had gotten back together with Marc. It's not something she would do again, of course, but perhaps her line of thinking had been that maybe Gordon would have thought she might. He knew, in excruciating detail (thanks to Charlie and Lee), what had happened between the two of them over the years of their marriage.

Taking a deep breath Casey finally spoke, "I know. But I hate doing this crap."

"This class is almost over, sweetheart." Gordon said with compassion in his voice, "After that you'll get into the better stuff."

Casey nodded, not wanting to say anything more. Gordon had noticed that she wasn't herself. She hadn't been for a week and he wasn't the only one to notice. Myrka, Julian, and even little Avalon had noticed the change in their mother. Sighing, he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, "I love you, Casey." He said. Casey felt tears welling up in her eyes. He had been saying that a lot lately, she had noticed.

"I know." Casey replied, "I love you too."

"I have to go out and do a few things for work. I'll be back in a couple of hours." Casey nodded and went back to the numbers that she so desperately wanted to get away from. Gordon sighed, "Case?" Casey looked up, "When I get back, can we talk?"

Sighing, Casey replied, "About?"

"About what happened a week ago." Casey sighed, "Casey, you've been acting strange all week and we never really talked about it. I'm not going to let this go just because you stopped talking about it."

Taking a deep breath, Casey replied, "Then I guess I have no choice."

"Casey, I'm just trying to get things back to normal. Even the kids have been noticing that you're not the same."

"Then go. The sooner you go the sooner you come back and the sooner we can get this conversation over with." Casey replied, not necessarily snappish, but bitter. He leaned over and kissed her cheek again, leaving the room. Casey internally yelled at herself. Why couldn't she act normal? He was trying to move on and she was acting like an angsty teenager.

Not able to contain her anger with herself, Casey flung her pencil down on the ground and let out and exasperated sigh. After a moment, she heard tentative footsteps. Looking around, she saw Avalon walking towards her, a pencil in her hand. Avalon lifted her hand, handing the pencil back to her mother. Casey smiled and took the pencil back.

"Thanks sweetie." Casey said, placing the pencil on the table and holding out her arms, "Come here baby."

Avalon raced into her mother's arms and said, "Mommy's sad." Casey couldn't do anything, so she just hugged her daughter. Gordon was right; the kids were noticing that something was wrong.

-(-)-

-Boston, Massachusetts-

Watching in amusement, Dani came to the conclusion that most men were alike. She was sitting in Elizabeth Collins' kitchen, watching the interaction between Teresa, Lex, and Jeff. Jeff was sitting at the table, drinking a beer and relishing what he called "a minor success, but a success nonetheless."

"I got her to talk to me!" Jeff said excitedly, his sister's beaming, "She even said that she didn't want to be angry at me for Times Square or stay away from me anymore!"

Raising her eyebrows, Dani asked, "Times Square?" The group simultaneously cringed, "Okay… Clearly I'm missing something."

Teresa and Lex looked to each other and then looked to their brother. Jeff sighed, "I dumped Aimee in front of all of Times Square." Dani took a sharp intake of breath, "Yeah. It took this long for her to not completely hate me, so I'm not screwing up this time." He thought for a moment, "If there is a "this time". I'm getting close, but I'm not there yet." He took a long swig from his beer and sighed heavily.

Lex merely smiled and patted him on the head, "Bubbles…" She mumbled lovingly. He looked up at her with an exasperated expression. He _hated _that nickname. Just because he had an unfortunate encounter with dish soap in his youth didn't mean that she had the right to bring it up any chance she got, "Sorry."

"Whatever." Jeff said, taking another swig of beer.

Dani smiled. Jeff was so much more relaxed than those baboons she called brothers. All four of them would have bugged the living hell out of her had she called them by something they hated. Sighing, she ran her hands through her hair. God she missed those annoying little pains in the ass.

There wasn't much time to think on the matter, though. After a short silence, a knock came on the door, "Come in!" Teresa called, smiling broadly. Dani wasn't surprised. It was Charlie, Adam, and Jesse. Once Elizabeth got back home they were all going to have dinner, delicious smelling steaks that were broiling in the oven, together.

The door opened and closed, the tension in the room seemingly going up in between the time that the door closed and the boys entered the room and then completely disappeared when they actually entered. Dani rolled her eyes; it was so cliché. Just because this was the first dinner that they all were having together didn't mean that they had to act like they didn't know each other at all.

Charlie walked right over to Teresa and kissed her, pulling her close to him. She giggled happily as he did so. Dani momentarily saw Lex and Jeff smile a little, clearly happy for their baby sister, before Adam came over to the counter that she was sitting on and kissed her. His was a small kiss, not at all prolonged like Charlie's. He turned away from her after the kiss and leaned against the counter, Dani putting her arms around him and resting her head on his shoulder.

Jesse was different entirely. He entered the room and walked right over to Lex, pulling her into a hug, picking her up and spinning her around. Everyone was confused.

As she was placed back on the floor, Lex happily exclaimed, "Cousin!"

"What?" Jeff and Teresa asked.

Lex laughed, "I've decided that Jesse is now our cousin."

Raising an eyebrow, Teresa asked, "Does this mean we don't have to claim those idiots that we're related to because of Dad?" Lex nodded vigorously, "Great! Nice to be part of your family, Jess."

"Yeah, we are pretty cool." Jesse said. Dani laughed.

"Better than ours." Jeff said, shaking his head.

The mood in the kitchen was calm and happy. For some reason, it seemed that any and all problems that any of them were dealing with at the moment weren't all that problematic at the moment. Jeff, for one, couldn't say he could get happier. His life was finally going in a direction that he liked and he was surrounded by people that didn't annoy the living daylights out of him. Sure, they were all way younger than him, but they seemed more mature than any of the self-absorbed jackasses that he had to deal with on a regular basis.

A silence covered the kitchen as everyone relished in their calm. That silence, however, was quickly broken, "Teresa?" Dani asked, as if a light bulb had been switched on in her brain.

"Yeah?" Teresa asked.

"What are your plans for Spring Break?" Dani asked. She knew she could be thinking way too far ahead, as it was only November, but she didn't want to forget about it.

Teresa raised her eyebrows, but answered, "To my current knowledge, nothing." Dani smiled, "Why?"

"Because I know what you're doing." Teresa's expression clearly asked for an explanation and quickly, "You're coming to Chicago with me to meet the insane family that keeps insisting I bring you to visit."

"And she means _insane_." Adam stated calmly. Dani swatted him, causing him to give her a look before kissing her once more.

Thinking for a moment, Teresa said, "I wouldn't want to impose…"

"You wouldn't be." Dani replied, "And remember at the beginning of the year when you told me that your dad was a freak and wouldn't let you and Lex leave the city?"

Lex snorted, "Like _that _happened! I've left this city plenty of times!"

"We know." Jeff and Teresa replied with smiles.

Teresa turned back to Dani, "But anyway, yeah, I remember."

Still with a smile, Dani said, "Well you, dear heart, are an adult and therefore can do whatever the hell you damn well please. I'm taking you to Chicago."

Lifting her hand to her head and saluting, Teresa replied, "Ma'am, yes ma'am!" Dani smiled back and blew her a kiss. The conversation got quiet casual and random after that. None of them were really sure just exactly what they were talking about at any certain point, but it made them all laugh, so they were perfectly happy with their current situation.

Though no one was paying attention to the time, they were sure that it wasn't long after that Elizabeth arrived back home. The front door opened and there was a clamor to help Elizabeth with the desert. Charlie was the first to get to her, something Dani was pretty much sure he had planned, and took the large fruit pie from her. He quickly put it in the refrigerator as Elizabeth entered the kitchen and kissed her daughters on the cheek, "Sorry I'm late."

"Don't worry about it." Everyone replied. Jeff finished off his beer, cleaned and recycled the bottle, and gave Elizabeth a huge hug.

Smiling, Elizabeth said, "Thank you, Jeff."

Jeff shrugged, not sure what to say to a thanks for a hug. Elizabeth chuckled to herself for a moment before Jeff managed to speak, "Elizabeth, I know your birthday isn't for another week, but I have a feeling I will be forced to go out of town on a business meeting, so I brought you your birthday gift."

"You didn't have to get me anything." Elizabeth said.

"Of course I did," Jeff replied, "I've been a little shit to you basically the whole time I've known you, so I think you deserve it." He pulled a small box from the pocket of his jacket, saying, "I had no idea what you liked, so I guessed." He handed her the box.

Elizabeth took the box and pulled the tiny ribbon off of it. Opening the box, she audibly gasped. Everyone looked as Elizabeth pulled out a necklace with a whale charm, the kind of gift one could only get if they contributed to the Save the Whales charity, one that Elizabeth was exceptionally passionate about.

"Jeff…" Elizabeth whispered in awe.

"I figured you'd appreciated the gesture." Jeff said sheepishly. He had expected Elizabeth to be shocked, but he hadn't expected what happened next. Elizabeth lunged at him and wrapped him in a deep hug.

Sniffling, Elizabeth said, "Thank you, Jeff."

"You're welcome." Jeff replied, hugging her back.


	29. Choices

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

**A/N:** So… Yeah… I've been planning to update this forever and I never managed to. Then I checked and realized that I haven't updated in year. How did that happen? Just so everyone knows no, I do not plan to give up on this story. I just haven't had a lot of time or energy to keep up with my stories. Sorry and I hope to update more frequently.

-(-)-

-Minneapolis, Minnesota-

Gordon poured himself a cup of coffee as Casey sat at the kitchen table, tapping her nails on the hard surface. The tapping and the coffee pouring where the only sounds in the kitchen and it was starting to grate on both Casey's and Gordon's nerves. The children were gone; they were completely alone.

"Are you going to say anything?" Casey asked, "You were the one who insisted that we talk." She cringed at the anger in her voice. She knew that she shouldn't be angry with him and she hadn't meant to sound as such. It was impossible, however, to keep it out of her tone.

"Casey, I… I just need you to know that I don't hold anything against you." Gordon replied, "You've been walking on eggshells since you told me. You've been angry, distant, scared. The kids are worried about you. _I _am worried about you."

Casey furrowed her eyebrows at him as he sighed and drank a sip of his coffee, "Worried about me?" She asked, "Why on Earth are you worried about me? This is nothing I can't handle."

"See, that's the thing." Gordon replied, "You're attempting to handle it alone. You don't need to. I get that Marc is Charlie's biological father and, therefore, would want to see him. Charlie's a great kid; I'd be shocked if Marc didn't try to get into contact with him. This isn't your burden. I'm here because I love you. You and Charlie are my family. I'm here no matter what."

Casey sighed again, "I just… He's been out of our lives for so long…"

"Casey, sweetheart, if he wants to speak to Charlie, there really is nothing that we can do about it." Gordon replied, "You just have to tell Charlie and let him decide what he wants to do."

"I know… but it's the last thing I want to do." Casey replied, "He put us through hell for years and I'm not sure he's changed all that much. I just don't want Charlie to get hurt."

"Charlie's a smart kid. He'll make the right decision." Gordon said, "He knows what Marc has done. He knows that Marc is one of the least reliable people he could know. I highly doubt he's going to get his hopes up."

"I know, I know…" Casey groaned, "I just… He's like a disease. He latches on to something and he doesn't let go until it's completely destroyed. I just don't want that back in my life." She shuttered for a second, "Did I ever tell you… He tried to get me hooked when I was pregnant."

Gordon stared at her for a moment, completely horrified, "What?" He asked, shock and distain lacing his voice.

Nodding, Casey said, "Yeah. He tried to get me to try cocaine with him about… Oh, I'd say it was two weeks after I told him that I was pregnant." She thought for a moment, "That should have been the moment I left. But I couldn't imagine trying to raise a baby by myself. But that shouldn't have mattered. I brought my son into a world of drugs and abuse. How could I have done that?"

As tears welled up in Casey's eyes, Gordon rushed over to her, "But you left. You realized that the situation was too dangerous and you finally left. You proved that you loved your son enough to protect him. And even before you left, you didn't let Marc get you into drugs. You kept yourself healthy for him."

"I know I did but… I look back and I think about what I could have done. How I could have protected him more. He's my son. If anything had ever happened to him…"

"But it didn't, Case. You have to remind yourself that the what-ifs never happened. He's fine. Better then fine. He's with his best friends at a great school competing in the sport that he loves. And, apparently, he has a girlfriend who, from what I can deduce, is a great girl." Casey nodded slightly, "I doubt he would ever hold anything against you. Just let him make his own decision."

Sighing, Casey said, "I just don't want him to get hurt and know that I'm the one who brought Marc back into his life."

"Casey, he'll be fine. He's got us to turn to if anything happens." Gordon assured her, kissing her lips gently, "He's smart. His past, if anything, has helped him learn to be observant and cautious…" Gordon thought for a moment, "Well, when he really needs to be, at least."

Casey laughed, "I don't know. I was out with Corrine and she said that Adam almost let it slip that Charlie had some sort of confrontation with his girlfriend's… Teresa, was it?... father, who is apparently some big, to-do mogul in Boston. I really hope he doesn't burn his bridges before he has them fully built."

"If Charlie had a confrontation with this man, then he had a damn good reason for it." Gordon said, "He's a good kid."

"I know." Casey agreed with a smile. Sighing, she pulled out her cell phone, "One thing left to do, I suppose."

"Which is?" Gordon asked.

"Call Charlie. Tell him about my meeting with Marc. Pray that he doesn't flip out."

"That's three things."

Casey shot him a look, "No, trust me, it most certainly is one."

-(-)-

-Boston, Massachusetts-

Stirring pasta in a pot, Charlie hissed as boiling water splattered out of the pot and onto his hand, "Son of a…" He groaned, shaking his hand. It wasn't bad –he'd had way worse- but it sure didn't tickle either.

"You okay?" A voice asked, causing him to turn.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine." He replied, looking at Dani's raised eyebrows, "Hot water, no biggie."

"What are you making?" She asked. Charlie sighed; he'd tried to keep the menu a secret. Dani and Teresa were having dinner with Adam, Jesse, and himself that night. She looked over, "Pasta? Charlie, you most definitely know the way to an Italian girl's heart."

"What about Teresa's?" Charlie asked, "Do you think she'll like it?"

"Have you seen that girl eat pasta?" Dani asked with a laugh in her voice. Charlie laughed as well. Of course he had. She was crazy for it, "She's pretty much an honorary Italian already. Well, at least I'm sure she will be after she meets my grandfather."

Charlie watched as Dani walked over to the pots on the stove and sniffed, "Where is she anyway?" He asked, stirring the pasta as Dani took out a small spoon and hovered over the pasta sauce to his right.

"With Jeff," She explained simply, dipping the spoon into the sauce, "He's dropping her off on his way home." She added before placing the spoon in her mouth. She tasted the sauce for a moment and said, "Yum. This is not from a jar."

"Nope." Charlie said with a slight smugness to his tone, "My grandfather's recipe. Better than anything you'll ever find in a store."

Chuckling, Dani said, "One day, your grandfather and mine need to have a pasta sauce throwdown."

"Mine would win."

"Oh, don't get cocky, Charlie. My _Nonno _is full blooded Italian; he lived in Italy until my mom was a toddler. World class chefs have failed against his food." Dani said, pride beaming on her face.

"Yeah, well," Charlie began before his cell phone rang. Taking it out, he said, "This isn't over." Dani raised her eyebrow with a smirk as Charlie answered, "Hey mom, what's up?"

Dani took this moment to excuse herself from the room. She didn't want to impose on a conversation between mother and son. Charlie silently thanked her, "Well, honey," Casey said, "You'll never guess who got a hold of me."

"Santa?" Charlie asked, jokingly.

"No," Casey said, clearly not in a joking mood but trying to keep her tone somewhat upbeat for her son, "Marc." Charlie stopped dead, wooden spoon frozen in place over the sauce he had been preparing to stir, "Charlie?"

Snapping himself back to reality, Charlie placed the spoon in the sauce pot and stirred as he asked, "What did he want?"

"Well, he wanted to speak with you, honestly." Casey admitted, sensing her son's discomfort, "He told me that, since you're eighteen now, he wanted you to know that if you wanted to get into contact with him, he wants you to. If you don't, he said he understands."

Charlie knocked the spoon on the side of the pot and thought for a moment, "Did he now?" Charlie asked, not sure what else to say. Granted, he didn't have very many memories of Marc and what he did have, he couldn't be sure of. He was only four when he and his mother finally left Marc and, if anything he'd been learning in his Psychology class was true, memories around that age were subjective and not all that reliable.

"Yes," Casey replied, "And I told him that I would pass on the message, but that the choice was all yours."

"Really?" Charlie asked, not sure what else to say. After a moment, he said, "Is it bad that I don't know what to think?"

"Of course not, sweetheart." Casey replied, "It's completely understandable. If it makes you feel any better, I agonized over actually telling you. But this is a choice you have to make. Are you okay?"

Sighing, Charlie said, "I'll be fine mom. And thanks for telling me."

"Of course, Charlie."

Charlie smiled a little before the doorbell rang. Dani went to get it as he said, "Hey, mom. I'll call you back later, okay? I'm getting ready to have dinner."

"With your girlfriend?" She asked, a hint of a smile in her voice.

Charlie rolled his eyes lovingly, "And Adam, Jesse, and Dani. But, yes, with Teresa."

"Will I ever get to meet her?"

"One day mom." Charlie promised.

"Okay," She replied, "Have fun."

"Thanks mom. Love you."

"Love you, too."

Charlie smiled as he closed his phone. As he did so, a pair of arms wrapped around his torso and a kiss was planted on his cheek. Turning his head, Charlie saw the beautiful smile that made him weak in the knees, "Hello beautiful."

"Hello handsome." Teresa replied, "Who was that?"

"Mom." Charlie said, turning so that he was facing her, though she didn't remove her arms from his middle.

"How's she?"

"Good." Charlie replied, "She really wants to meet you."

"And I really want to meet her." Teresa replied, "Maybe I can come to Minnesota sometime next summer… I mean, if you want me to."

Smiling, Charlie said, "That would be great."

"Aw. So cute." Dani's voice said, making them look over. She, Adam, and Jesse were standing on the doorway to the kitchen.

"More like sickening." Jesse said, "I feel like I'm on a sugar buzz just looking at them."

Charlie laughed mockingly, picked up a dirty plastic fork from the sink, and threw it at Jesse, "Ew." Dani mumbled.

"How about we eat before we kill each other?" Adam asked.

"Sounds like a plan to me." Dani said walking over to the cabinet and pulling out plates.

-(-)-

-Boston, Massachusetts: Two weeks later-

Jeff was perfectly content with the progress in his and Aimee's relationship thus far. She was speaking to him, working with him, even coming over to his apartment some nights to talk. The last two times she had come over, she even allowed him to give her a kiss goodnight before she left. She wasn't going out of her way to avoid him anymore. He was happy.

It was still early-ish in the evening, 7:45 to be exact, but Jeff was ready to turn in early for the night. He was finishing some paperwork that his dad had thrust on him. Thomas's exact words were "Finish this and get it on my desk by 8 am or you're fired." Jeff knew that his dad wouldn't actually fire him, but he would raise hell. Jeff did not need that, so he just did what his dad said. One day he would be head of the company and be able to do things his way. Until then, he just had to grin and bear it.

Luckily, it wasn't hard to fill out the paperwork. He already knew about everything is pertained to –probably better than his dad, if you asked him. The only problem was there was a lot of it. He'd been working on it for nearly two hours. Fortunately, however, he had less than a page left.

Quickly, though neatly, Jeff filled out the final page and put his signature down at the bottom next to a blank space that he would let his father fill out in the morning. Jeff had toyed with the idea of putting Thomas's signature there himself (Jeff could do a near perfect, certainly undetectable, forgery of his father's signature) but he figured that this wouldn't be the best thing to do as it was, in fact, illegal. Sure, Thomas would more than likely ask why Jeff hadn't signed it for him –he always did- and Jeff would have to remind him of the legal repercussions of doing so.

Putting the papers in a manila folder and then placing that folder into his briefcase so that he wouldn't forget to bring it in the next morning, Jeff silently thanked the stars that he could now get to sleep. He was exhausted. Placing the briefcase on the couch, Jeff turned to walk to the bedroom.

Then a knock came on the door.

"Son of a bitch." Jeff groaned to himself, "Why!" With a deep seated anger, Jeff walked to the door and looked out the peephole. It was Aimee. Jeff suddenly felt very awake. Opening the door, Jeff said, "Aims, what are you doing here?"

"I… Um… Well, I don't know really. I just wanted to see you."

Jeff felt his heart start pumping hard. It was so hard that he was sure that Aimee would hear it, "Oh… Really?" Aimee nodded sheepishly, "Um… Come in." He said, stepping out of her way.

"Thanks," Aimee replied as she entered the apartment. As she always did every time she came into Jeff's home, Aimee felt the memories of their times together in that apartment wash over her like a wave. She'd been fighting against her feelings for a while. She wanted to take things slow with Jeff, no matter how much she wanted to be with him again. Her love for him hadn't faded after he broke up with her and because of that, she had never truly been angry at him. It was Thomas that she had loathed with every fiber of her being. He was the viper who wanted to ruin her life. Jeff was his pawn; the one who Thomas was trying to mold to become him. But the man she fell in love with had come back.

"Can I get you anything?" Jeff asked, "Water? Coffee?"

"No, I'm fine," Aimee replied.

"If you insist." Jeff said, "How are you?"

Aimee smiled as she sat down on the couch next to his briefcase, "I'm good. Mom and dad are planning another honeymoon, so I'll be in charge for three weeks during April. But we're also going to the Adirondacks again for New Years."

Jeff smiled. The Adirondack Mountains, or rather the home that Aimee's family had there, was the one place that Aimee could relax, "That sounds like fun."

Aimee smiled and shook her head, "Jeff…" She said exasperated.

"What?" Jeff replied, thoroughly confused.

"I'm inviting you to come with us." Aimee said with a laugh in her voice.

"Oh…" Jeff mumbled, "Aims, I don't think that's such a good…"

"Jeff, I want you to come." Aimee replied, standing and walking over to him, "I told you, I'm tired to staying away from you." She leaned over and kissed his lips. He kissed back until she pulled away, "I never fell out of love with you, Jeff."

The words that Jeff had wanted to hear for years had finally been spoken out loud. He didn't, however, have much time to relish in them as Aimee once again placed her lips on his. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she wrapped hers around his neck. Though he enjoyed their light goodnight kisses, Jeff had to admit that he wanted to be nowhere more at that moment than where he was.

"Aimee." Jeff groaned as she began pushing back towards the general vicinity of his bedroom, "Aims, wait…"

"What?" Aimee asked, a fire in her dark eyes that Jeff hadn't seen in a long time. That fire made his desire for her flare.

"I just… Don't you think we're going a bit fast?"

"Maybe." Aimee replied, kissing him again. Somehow neither of them cared in the least. They loved each other, they wanted each other, and the amount of time that they had been apart had been almost too much to bear. In the morning they would talk about taking it slow, but for now they just wanted to be with each other in every way possible.

Jeff opened the door to his bedroom, not letting go of Aimee in the process, and slammed it shut behind him with his foot. Aimee unbuttoned his shirt and slid it off while they both kicked off their shoes. Jeff pulled Aimee's shirt from the bottom, relishing the feeling of his fingers sliding over her skin and –breaking the kiss for only a second- pulled the fabric over her head. It wasn't lost on him before he began kissing her again that she was wearing a black and red lace bra.

Aimee ran her hands over his chest and stomach. He wasn't the bulkiest guy in the world, but Aimee loved his long, lean muscles. In her opinion, he was better than any bodybuilder, pro football player, or muscle head by leaps and bounds.

Just as Jeff managed to get Aimee on his bed and pull off her pants, a familiar and detested ringtone rang through the room. It was the tone that he had specially set for his father. Groaning Jeff pulled up. Aimee pouted, "Baby, it's my dad."

"Don't keep me waiting too long." Aimee said, her eyes even more fiery than before.

Sighing, Jeff pulled the offending piece of technology out of his pocket, "Yeah dad?" Jeff asked, barely containing his irritation.

"Have you finished that paperwork?"

"Yes, dad, I have." Jeff replied, "I'll bring it in tomorrow, just like you told me to."

"Don't forget it."

"It's already in my briefcase dad." Jeff replied, "I won't forget."

Aimee was quickly getting bored. She stood up and thought that, her being in the state of undressed that she was, it was only fair for Jeff to be the same. So, with a smile on her face, Aimee walked over to Jeff, knelt down in front of him, and began to unbutton and unzip his pants. It had the reaction that she wanted. Jeff tensed, trying to keep himself from giving them away as he argued with his father over whether or not he had actually finished all the paperwork and whether or not he would actually remember to bring it. She stood as Jeff kicked the pants off of his legs.

"Dad, I finished and I will remember." Jeff said exasperated as Aimee walked behind him and began leaving kisses on his neck and back. Again, he stiffed.

Aimee could hear Thomas, "Son, that paperwork is of the utmost importance."

"As you've mentioned a thousand times, dad." Jeff said, "It's all taken care of."

"It had better be."

Aimee rolled her eyes as she reached around Jeff and began rubbing her hands up and down his torso and playing with the elastic waistband of his boxer briefs. His breathing hitched for a second before he recollected his cool, "Dad, I will see you tomorrow. 8 am sharp."

"Fine." Thomas replied and hung up.

Jeff groaned, turned off his phone to prevent any more interruptions, and threw the small rectangle onto the pile of his clothes that had emerged on his floor. Grabbing Aimee, he pulled her around with enough force so that she landed on the bed, but so he was sure that he hadn't hurt her, "You evil little minx."

"I was feeling lonely." Aimee replied, innocence lacing her tone and a pout ever so slightly emerging on her face, "I didn't want you to forget me."

"Like that would ever happen." He said as he leaned over her, kissing her.

A smile graced her lips as Aimee caught his lower lips between his teeth. His breath hitched and Aimee remembered just how much she loved having that affect on him. Knowing that she had it now, after so long of thinking that he wanted nothing to do with her, made every fiber of her being feel like it was on fire. Was she a fool for still loving him after all that time? Probably. But she could count on the fact that he was as much of a fool as she was.


	30. When Did Everything Become About Sex?

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

**A/N:** Many thanks to my reviewers, mdgirl18 and AznIntegra, for coming back after so long. I will do as much as I can to update on a fairly regular basis. I most certainly don't have any plans to wait another year. Thanks again and enjoy!

-(-)-

Lex and Teresa were far more intelligent and observant than most people gave them credit for. They knew from the moment they saw their brother the morning after his night with Aimee what had happened. They chuckled to themselves and rolled their eyes. That had not been part of the plan. However, at least they knew that neither party was ignoring their feelings. After that night, they saw Jeff and Aimee together far more often, though in casual and/or business settings, and it was clear that the two were more comfortable together.

They were also taking it slow. Lex and Teresa knew that Jeff had taken Aimee out for breakfast at least twice since then. Breakfast meant that they were starting over. Dinner would have been too fast for them. It was just like before and the girls were perfectly happy with that. Their brother was happy and Aimee was happy and that was all that really mattered.

Teresa, however, wasn't completely happy. Christmas Break was coming up and Charlie would be returning to Minnesota. Jesse and Adam would be as well and Dani was going back to Chicago. Teresa knew that she had her family but she would miss her friends and the boy she could without a doubt say she had fallen for. They may have only been together for about four months, but Teresa loved Charlie. She didn't even know if that was possible, but it was the truth.

Jesse, Adam, and Dani had gone out for the day to do some Christmas shopping (the guys dragged Dani along because they knew that they would be hopeless when it came to shopping; besides, she would know what to get the women in their lives better than they would) so she and Charlie –who both liked shopping last minute- were together in the penthouse. She was surprised that she hadn't worn a hole in the floor with her pacing. Charlie was finishing up some laundry, so she was left to her thoughts.

"Why so tense?" Charlie asked, plopping the basket of clean clothes on the couch. He had that charming half smile on his face that made Teresa melt. She smiled and shook her head. He was not convinced, "Oh, come on, you can tell me."

Sighing, Teresa said, "Promise you won't think I'm a clingy freak?" Charlie furrowed his eyebrows. After a moment, he shook his head slowly, as if he were confused by her request, "Well, I guess I'm going to miss you. I mean, I'll miss all of you but… I'll really miss you."

After a moment, Charlie chuckled, cupped her cheek, and kissed her. Teresa leaned against him, her hands on his chest, and kissed him back. She hoped beyond hope that he couldn't feel her heart beating in her chest. She would swear that it was beating so hard that he could.

Pulling away, Charlie whispered, "I'll miss you too, baby." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, "It's only for a few weeks though. Then I'll be back."

Teresa nodded, "I know. I'm just being… Well, to be honest, I don't know what I'm being." She admitted. Charlie kissed her again before grabbing up the laundry basket and heading to his room.

A tear welled up in her eye and Teresa hastily wiped it away. There was absolutely no reason for her to be crying! She couldn't let Charlie think she was getting clingy. That would be a relationship killer for sure. She hadn't realized that she started pacing again until a sound from Charlie's room stopped her short, "Charlie?" She called.

"Little help!" Charlie called back.

Teresa made her way to Charlie's room and couldn't help but laugh at the sight she saw. Charlie was surrounded by clothes, having tried to put the laundry basket on the top shelf of his closet without putting his clothes away. He hadn't quite reached the shelf and all of his clothes were on the floor.

"You okay?" Teresa asked.

"Does this mean I have to wash them again?" Charlie asked.

"No." Teresa replied as she helped him pick up his clothes. He followed her lead and began folding them as well.

Smiling, Charlie said, "Thanks, Teresa." They worked in silence for a while, cleaning up the mess and putting the clothes in their proper places in no time, "Wow… Maybe I should have done that the first time around…" Charlie mused.

"You think?" Teresa asked with a joking tone. She smiled at him.

"Don't patronize me." Charlie said, pulling her to him.

"Why whatever do you mean?" She asked with her brows raised.

"You know what I mean." He said, leaning over and kissing her. After several moments, he pulled away and added, "Now apologize."

Teresa's brows rose even higher at the joke, "No." She said simply, a childish defiance in her voice.

"No?"

Shaking her head and pulling away from him with her arms crossed, Teresa said, even more childishly, "No."

With an impish smile creeping on his face, Charlie reached out and began tickling her ribs. It wasn't the most ticklish spot on her body (that would be the bottom of her left foot) but it was a close second. Teresa squealed and jumped back, Charlie following; he wasn't willing to let her get away so easily. He tickled her until she fell back on his bed. He tried to stop her from falling, which only caused him to fall on top of her.

"Ow…" She said, still laughing. He began laughing as he rolled off of her. The two lay on his bed, laughing. As their laughter subsided, Charlie rolled on his side and captured her lips in his. A smile graced her lips as she kissed him back.

Then, without either of them really thinking, Charlie was on top of Teresa, kissing her as if his life depended on it. She kissed him back, loving the way his lips felt against hers. It wasn't hard or awkward for the two of them to find themselves engaging in a make out session. To the contrary, it felt completely natural to the both of them. Teresa was shocked to realized, after the first time they did so, that she didn't feel nearly as self-conscious as she thought she would.

The only thing that ruined the moment was Charlie's roaming hands. She was fine with them until she felt them tugging on her jeans, "Wait, wait." She whispered, pulling away from his kiss and stopping his hands.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"I… I just… If I'm jumping to conclusions, let me know, but I can't do that. I can't go that far." She was hesitant, not wanting to freak him out.

Charlie thought for a second, as if he wasn't sure what she was talking about. Then it hit him, "Oh… Shit." He mumbled, "Teresa, baby, I am so sorry. I didn't realize what I was doing."

"It's okay." Teresa said, relief evident in her voice and body language. Charlie was internally kicking himself; how big of a moron could he be? He had been close to repeating one of the most uncomfortable experiences of his life, "I mean…" Teresa continued, too wrapped up in her reawakened painful awkwardness to realize his internal turmoil, "it's not that I don't _want _to, I just can't do that right now and I know that…" Charlie cut her off with a kiss. Just a soft one, though; he didn't want to freak her out any more than she already was.

"Relax." Charlie said, hitching her leg over his hip, "This is as far as we go until you want to. And I should be apologizing. I don't know what came over me."

"It's okay." Teresa said, slowly relaxing. She hated being awkward around Charlie. He brought her out of her shell so much and she hated retreating back into it.

-(-)-

"Why the hell do you sound so chipper?" Dani asked into her phone as her eyebrows furrowed. She was speaking to Dean, getting caught up on the last couple of months. Dean was not one to be chipper, something that everyone knew, so his new mood caught Dani's ear instantly. She knew her brother better than anyone, so she was definitely interested.

"I don't know what you mean."

"Bullshit, Dean." Dani replied, "I'm not only your sister, I'm your twin."

Silence for a moment, then, "So?"

Rolling her eyes, Dani replied, "Damn it, Dean, I shared a uterus with you for 38 weeks! I know when you are bullshitting and I know when you're not completely yourself. So spill, jackass."

"Wow, the love is felt, you little harpy." Dean said, deadpanned. Dani had long since stopped wondering why they showed their love by insulting each other.

"Seriously, Dean…" Dani said, "What's up?"

"Nothing…" Dean replied, rather unconvincingly.

Dani thought for a moment. It was clear that Dean was lying. He was chipper for a reason that he wouldn't even tell Dani. They told each other everything. For crying out loud, she knew the nitty-gritty details about the sex lives of most of the Ducks (excluding Adam and Charlie, as well as Jesse and –of course- Dean and Julie) because he had called her multiple times their junior and senior years just to chat about it. And that was just the beginning. She'd been kept in the loop of all Duck gossip (again, excluding anything about Adam) and anything else that Dean decided to tell her.

If there was something he wasn't telling her, then she most certainly… Wait just a minute… "Dean…" Dani said in a slow, hesitant voice, "Have you, by chance, slept with Julie lately?"

"What?" Dean asked, just a little too fast.

"Aw hell, Dean," Dani replied, "I know you're both eighteen and that you've been dating for over two years but please, please, _please _tell me that you used protection."

Dean was quiet for a moment, "You can't tell mom and dad and yes we did."

Shaking her head, Dani said, "Fine, I won't. Just be really careful if you plan on doing that again."

"I'm not a complete moron, Dan." Dean replied, "We've only done it a couple of times. We're not being stupid about it. I mean, come on, mom and dad have given you and I the talk at least twice a year since we were ten. I know the risks."

"Fine, just… Be careful."

"Yeah, yeah." Dean said, "What about you and Adam? Any reason for me to come over and break his nose?"

Rolling her eyes, Dani groaned, "No, Dean. I mean, seriously, Adam and I have been back together for a month."

"People hook up on the first night all the time." Dean replied, "From one-nighters to full blown relationships. Sometimes they start on the first night."

"Ours didn't." Dani said with a sigh, "I don't know what I'm going to do about that but Adam hasn't even brought it up. You know him, Dean. He's a gentleman."

"Regular Mr. Bingley, that one." Dean retorted.

"I love Bingley!" Dani countered excitedly.

"I know." Dean groaned. He knew all about her love for _Pride and Prejudice _and other such Victorian literature and he knew all of her favorite characters. He would admit that they weren't bad books. Not necessarily the first thing he would reach for, but not bad.

"Don't groan." Dani shot back, "Hey, I've got to go. I'll talk to you later."

"Will do." Dean replied, "And remember: if Cake-eater touches you, he loses his hand. If it's any more than that… Well, he'll lose something else entirely."

"Uh-huh." Dani replied sarcastically, "We're not the couple that has slept together."

"Whatever, sis." Dean said, "Talk to you later."

"Bye," Dani finished just as the door opened.

Teresa entered, clearly frazzled. She didn't even acknowledge Dani, who was staring at her with concerned interest. She merely dropped her bags and coat onto the floor (exhibit A that something was wrong) and pulled the scarf that she was crocheting out of the closet (exhibit B, as Teresa didn't crochet unless she was bored or trying to preoccupy herself).

"Teresa?" Dani asked slowly, "You okay?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine." Teresa replied in slight hysterics, "Why the hell is everything about sex all of the sudden?" She asked, clearly having heard the talk end of Dani and Dean's conversation.

Dani raised her eyebrows. Sure, she'd heard about Jeff and Aimee's night together from Lex (Teresa hadn't wanted to make Jeff angry in case he found out that they were gossiping about it) but she was sure that that wasn't the reason behind her outburst.

"Teresa?" Dani asked, "You sure you're okay?"

"Why would you think any different?" Teresa asked, still hysterical.

"Well, for one, you sound like you just saw a ghost and two, you're crocheting." Dani replied. Teresa looked down at the scarf and sighed, throwing it on the bed and resting her head in her hands, "Spill, Tess." Dani added, using the nickname that she only used when Teresa needed some comforting.

Taking a deep breath and rubbing her shoulders, Teresa said, "Um… Well, you know that I was over at the penthouse while you took Adam and Jesse shopping," Dani nodded, "Well, I was helping Charlie put away his clothes after he dropped them all over the floor," Dani rolled her eyes. That was such a Charlie thing to do, "And somehow we ended up making out on his bed."

"Are you kidding me?" Dani asked. Teresa shook her head, "Holy shit… What happened?"

"Nothing," Teresa replied, "But it felt like Charlie wanted it to. He started tugging on my jeans at one point and I swear I almost lost it. I didn't mean to, but I just got freaked. You know how I am around guys… And the guys I grew up knowing didn't ever help matters."

"How did Charlie react?"

"As well as can be expected," Teresa admitted, "He apologized and said that he didn't realize he was doing it. I believe him. I mean, you've seen his poker face. He sucks at lying."

"It's why the two of you are so perfect for each other." Dani said with a hint of a smile, hoping to cheer Teresa up.

Shaking her head, Teresa retorted, "Ha ha… Very funny." Dani shrugged and Teresa continued, "Well, he promised that we would go there only when I was ready." Dani nodded; that too sounded like Charlie, "God… It's not that I don't want to…"

"You're not ready." Dani replied, "He understands that. I mean, look at Dean and Julie. They were together for over two years before they hit the sheets."

Teresa's eyes furrowed, "Dean and Julie have slept together? Since when?"

"Apparently since sometime after fall break." Dani replied, "That's what I was talking to him about before you walked in." Teresa nodded understandingly, "But my point is, Charlie isn't going to force anything on you."

"I know." Teresa mumbled, "I just don't want to lose him. I know we haven't been together all that long, but he's the first guy I've ever known that was interested in me. Not my dad, not my money, me. I don't want to push him away or scare him off… You know, I was considering telling him I love him." Dani's eyes widened, "And I do. But I'm worried that he'll hear the words and run off."

"Give him some credit." Dani replied, "He's crazy about you." Teresa nodded and sighed, lying back on her bed, "Don't worry about it. You couldn't lose Charlie even if you reenacted _How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days _without telling him." Teresa chuckled and highly doubted that. He may be an understanding guy, but anyone in their right minds would break off something that irritating.

-(-)-

Since Teresa left, Charlie had been beating himself up. Groaning, he finally plopped down on the couch and punched a pillow, "Don't break that pillow." Adam's voice broke through.

"I won't." Charlie groaned.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Jesse asked, coming from the shower.

"Nothing."

"Lies." Adam replied with Jesse nodding in agreement.

Charlie furrowed his eyebrows, "Go put on some pants, man." He said to Jesse, who was standing in the living room in nothing but a towel. Jesse mumbled, shrugged his shoulders and left. He was back within minutes, clothed and with a look on his face saying that he was ready to stay up the rest of the night to grill his friend.

"So, what happened?" Jesse asked, "Something go wrong with Teresa?"

"No… Not really."

"What's that mean?" Adam asked.

Sighing, Charlie said, "I…" He thought for a moment for the best way to phrase it, "I almost made the same mistake with Teresa that I made with Linda." Adam and Jesse cringed as Charlie remembered the party of the end of their junior year where he and Linda both got drunk and ended up at her parents empty house. He barely remembered any of that night and woke up with a huge hangover next to Linda, who was still asleep. He left an apologetic note and left the house before her parents got back. He tried calling her over the next three months and she never returned his calls. He began thinking the worst –that she was pregnant and didn't want to tell him or that she didn't ever want to see him again- and finally cornered her at school their first day back. She told him that she had swiped some of her older sister's emergency contraceptive from Jessica's medicine cabinet –something that only Linda knew that Jessica had- and that she wasn't pregnant nor had she been to her knowledge. They hadn't spoken since.

He hated it. They had been such good friends after their break up and one stupid thing had ruined it. There was no way in hell he was losing Teresa because of another stupid mistake. Sure, he wanted to be intimate with her but it was her choice and if she wasn't ready to have sex, then they weren't going to have sex.

Their relationship meant more to him than anything. He had dated a couple of people casually his junior and senior years and had one major girlfriend his senior year, Andrea was her name. But he hadn't fallen for Andrea – much less any of the other girls- the way he had Teresa.

"God damn it!" Charlie groaned, "How could I have been so stupid?"

"You didn't sleep with her, though?" Adam asked.

"No." Charlie replied, "I didn't even realize that I was tugging at her clothes. Then she freaked. God, I hope this doesn't make her revert back into her shell. She's come so far in the amount of time we've been together." Adam and Jesse nodded, knowing how painfully shy she had been around guys before Charlie, "I mean, I'm the first guy she's ever kissed; definitely her first boyfriend. I can't push her too far, too soon."

Nodding, Jesse said, "Preach." Charlie rolled his eyes, "Come on man, I'm just trying to chill you out."

"I know…" Charlie replied.

"Think of it this way," Adam replied, "Nothing could be as bad as when Averman sealed the deal with that volleyball girl."

Charlie laughed, "Oh my god, I thought he was traumatized."

Jesse nodded, knowing full well what they were talking about, "Weren't they together for a while after that? For at least six months after that, right?" Adam nodded, "Didn't he mention, like, handcuffs or something?"

"And she had a school girl outfit." Charlie replied with a laugh. Averman had walked through the next six months in a daze, doing whatever Taryn wanted just so that she wouldn't break him during sex, which she apparently liked doing at _least_ twice a week.

"A riding crop, too." Adam added, wondering if Dani had any interests like that. Not to Taryn's extent obviously, but something. Granted he knew he shouldn't be thinking about it, but he would be lying if he said he had never fantasized about her over the years. He had never slept with any of the girls he dated after her. The Ducks bugged him at least once a day about the numerous STDs he would get if he ever did. Plus, he just never liked any of them.

Jesse rolled his eyes, "Just relax. Teresa's probably freaking out about turning you down and worrying that you are going to be disappointed. She'll be fine; you'll be fine. Just give her the night to relax and talk about it tomorrow."

"Thanks guys," Charlie said, knowing that it would be better in the morning. Adam and Jesse mumbled something along the lines of "that's what we're here for" that Charlie didn't fully catch. Adam was on his way to the shower, Jesse to bed. Charlie thought sleeping would be a good idea. He knew that he and Teresa would work it out in the morning. She was very understanding and knew that he would never take advantage of her.


	31. Holiday Plans

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

_A/N:_ Thanks a million to mdgirl18, AznIntegra, and RedHotChillySteppers2008! Sorry that this is so long in coming (if you'll allow me to make that understatement). This chapter is very short, but I hope it is worth the wait. This is more of a transition chapter than anything.

-(-)-

The words glaring on the computer screen were mocking her. _Cancelled_. _All flights after 6pm on December 17 cancelled unless otherwise stated on this website._ Those were not words that Dani wanted to see, "For the love of Pete!" She screamed, kicking the coffee table on which she had her feet.

"Don't break that table." She heard her boyfriend's voice call from the kitchen, "Mr. Li would kill us." She huffed as he walked over and kissed her on the temple, "What's wrong?"

"My flight," Dani fumed, "It's cancelled. That's not all, though. All of the flights after six p.m. tonight are cancelled until further notice. I'm not getting home for who knows how long."

Adam cringed; he knew how much she was missing her family, "I'm sorry baby."

Dani huffed again, "Check yours." He said, handing her laptop to him, "It looks like most of the flights were cancelled. Damn freak random snowstorm." She grumbled. Adam sat on the arm of the chair in which Dani was sitting, placed the laptop on his lap, and began the search for his flight. After only a moment or two, Dani heard the clicking become more frantic, "Uh-huh…" She said, "That's what I thought."

"What the hell?" Adam asked, "Damn it! Charlie! Jesse!" He called.

"What?" Jesse yelled back as he and Charlie left their rooms and entered the living room.

"Our flight is cancelled." Adam said, causing Jesse and Charlie to groan, "There isn't another flight to Chicago, Minneapolis, New York, nothing. The best shot we'd have is down to Atlanta, over to Cincinnati, and then up to Minneapolis. And that is if we're lucky and the flight to Atlanta doesn't get cancelled. We'd also have to get to the airport in half an hour."

Dani growled slightly, "What am I going to do?" She asked, "I've already turned in my keys. I can't stay in the dorm and Teresa, Elizabeth, and Lex are at a family reunion in Cape Cod." While Dani was glad that Teresa was allowed to go to her mother's family reunion (her father had forbid it before she turned eighteen), it certainly didn't help her situation. Hell, Teresa would probably be stuck on Cape Cod for God-knows-how-long.

Charlie and Jesse gave her sympathetic looks while Adam, who had been browsing around, trying to find any way for any of them to get back said, "Sweetie, you can stay here, I'll give you my key. Or fly with us and we'll figure out a way to get you… Wait, scratch that. Atlanta flight was just cancelled." He said, causing both Charlie and Jesse to head back to their room, clearly angry, "Looks like we're all stuck here. You can stay on the couch again, if you want."

"That'd be great, baby." Dani said, "Thanks." He smiled at he placed the laptop on the table and kissed her on the cheek, "I should probably call my parents, shouldn't I?"

"Probably," Adam replied, "I should too. I'll be right back."

Dani nodded as she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. Adam left to get his as she dialed her home number and placed the phone to her ear. She breathed heavily as the phone rang once, twice, three times. She groaned as she heard her parent's voices speaking the familiar answering machine message, "Hi mom, hi dad," Dani said with a sigh, "I'm guessing you're out so I'll try your cells, but in case I don't get a hold of you, I have to tell you that there has been a change of plan. The blizzard caused my flight to be cancelled. All of the flights after six tonight and the majority of the flights have been cancelled before six anyway. I'll keep an eye on the situation to see if there are any changes. Love you guys. Bye…" She finished sadly and ended the call.

She could hear all three of the boys calling home. Charlie was trying to calmly explain the situation to his mom, but it was clear that he was upset. Dani knew how much he missed home. With the wedding preparations and the new development with his father (he was still deciding what to do about that having asked Dani, Jesse, Adam, and Teresa what they thought) Charlie wanted to be home again. He would miss Teresa like hell, everyone knew that, but he wanted to be back in Minnesota. Jesse, in contrast, was completely irate. Dani guessed that it was Terry on the other end of the line because she highly doubted that he would be using the language he was using with either of his parents. Adam sounded like he was trying to stop someone from crying. It was probably his mother. She didn't cry very often but when she did, she was Niagara Falls.

Shaking her head, Dani looked to her phone again and dialed her father's cell phone. She knew he wouldn't be at work so he was less likely to be bothered by a call than her mother. Dani waited as the phone rang, "Dani?" She heard her dad ask, "Are you on the plane?"

Sighing, Dani replied, "Unfortunately, daddy, I am not. My flight was cancelled because of this ridiculous blizzard. The airport is closed for the foreseeable future starting at six and I can't find a flight before that. I don't know when or if I'll actually make it home."

"Oh…" Kal Portman said, his heart dropping down to his stomach. Never before had their family been apart over the holidays, "I see… Well… I suppose we will just have to deal with that then. There are absolutely no flights out?"

"No dad." Dani replied, "I checked. Adam, Charlie, and Jesse are stuck here too. We're looking for something but it's doubtful. We have no idea how long the airport will be closed."

"Well… We will have to wait and see. I'll tell your mother and your brothers."

"Thanks daddy."

"No problem, sweetie. I love you."

"Love you too, daddy." Dani said with a heavy heart. They said their goodbyes and hung up. The last thing that Dani wanted as to spend the holidays away from her family. She sniffled slightly. They may argue constantly, but they were her family and she really missed them. She knew the boys were feeling the same. Sighing dejectedly, Dani pulled her feet up and laid on the couch. She had been so excited to get back home to Chicago and now that that didn't seem like a possibility in the near future, all she felt was exhaustion.

Adam came over to her, lifted her legs, sat on the couch, and replaced her legs over his lap, "You okay, baby?" He asked, gently rubbing her knee.

"Peachy…" She replied without even the conviction or energy to be angry. Adam sighed and took her hand in his, placing a gentle kiss on it. She smiled slightly with the tiniest inkling of a chuckle, "I love you." She said.

"I love you, too." Adam said, "And don't worry. Sooner or later, we will get you home."

"You always know what to say to make me feel better." Dani said with a smirk as she grabbed his shirt and pulled him towards her, kissing his lips. He reciprocated gladly, but the mood was broken when Jesse barged in the room, cursing up a storm.

After noticing the couple, Jesse said, "You two are so gross sometimes! Every time I come into a room, you're making out!" Dani and Adam looked at him with raised eyebrows. He was exaggerating quite a bit, "At least you two have each other in this mess." He grumbled before exiting the room.

Dani shook her head. At least his exaggeration stemmed from frustration and not actually thinking what he said. She did feel bad for Jesse. It was true that she and Adam had each other, just as Charlie and Teresa did. Jesse, while content with singlehood for the moment, didn't have such strong ties to Boston. He loved Lex, he truly did, but it wasn't the kind of love that Charlie and Teresa, or Dani and Adam, had together. Hopefully he would calm down a little and not be so bitter. No one wanted Jesse to feel left out and they certainly didn't want him to resent the time that, like it or not, they would be spending together during the holidays.


	32. New Year's

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

_**A/N:**_ Thanks _mdgirl18 _and _PrincessH_. Sorry I've kept you waiting too long. Hope everyone enjoys! Also, I know that I mentioned a lot in the last story that Dani was sick a lot as a kid. This chapter is my attempt at connecting that with this story. Initially I'd planned on there being a lot more of it and a lot more of showing Adam taking care of her, but I'd also planned on Dani telling Adam she loved him for the first time in a delirious, illness-induced state (instead of when they got back together). I like it this way better and hopefully no one will be too disappointed.

-(-)-

Had she been coherent enough to be angry at the time, Dani most certainly would have been. Once the blizzard had broken, about a week after the holiday break started, she had become extremely ill. Adam had freaked out in the worst way when her health deteriorated so quickly. He knew that she had had massive health problems when she was younger, but he also knew that she hadn't been that sick since she was ten.

The roads had still been a mess, so Adam did the only thing he could think of short of taking her to the hospital. He called her mom.

_Sighing, Adam placed a wet cloth on his exhausted girlfriend's head and dialed the Portman home phone number. After two and a half rings, the phone was picked up and a voice said, "Portman residence."_

"_Mrs. Portman?" Adam asked._

"_Yes…" She replied, confusedly. _

"_Hi, this is Adam…"_

"_Adam!" She said with excited, "How are you dear? We saw on the news that the blizzard is clearing up. Are you calling for Dani?"_

_Adam sighed, "Um yeah… Sort of. Dani's sick. I don't know with what or what to do about it, but she was fine but then she started getting headaches and she has a fever and…"_

"_Adam," Alyssa Portman replied, "Calm down." She was worried, that was clear, but she went right into mom-mode, "What have you been doing for her?"_

_Adam sighed, "A lot of resting, fluids, cold compresses. The roads aren't clear yet so I can't take her to the hospital and if I did, I'm sure she'd kill me after she got better."_

"_That sounds like something my daughter would do," Alyssa said, "Okay… Keep doing what you're doing. Do you have any aspirin or anything you can use that might help bring the fever down?"_

"_Yeah, I think so." _

"_Good, give her some and watch her. If she doesn't get better within a couple of days or gets worse, get her to a hospital. She'll want to kill you, but she'll get over it."_

Adam had done as he was told and Dani had gotten better. She was still weak, though, and Adam hadn't wanted to put her on a plane by herself when the airport opened. It was decided that Charlie and Jesse would go back to Minnesota without him. Dani wasn't entirely pleased with him. She didn't want to feel like she was ruining his Christmas.

"You're not." He assured her, "I'm happy being here with you."

She was getting better, he knew, but both understood that it would be a waste of money to buy another plane ticket and go home just to come back right away. By the time Adam deemed Dani well enough to travel ("Seriously, babe, you're worse than doctors… They would have let me go home forever ago") they only had a week and a half of vacation left.

Adam stirred scrambled eggs in a pan. The table was already set with plates and utensils, napkins, waffles, sausages, and bacon. Dani walked in the room, still in her pajamas. She placed her arms around his waist and he put his arm around her shoulder, "What's all this?" She asked.

"December 31st." Adam said, kissing her, "Our two month anniversary."

"Sweetie, if you keep doing stuff like this on our month anniversary, you are going to have to come up with something kick ass for our actual anniversary."

"Eh… I'm sure I'll come up with something." He said, pulling the eggs off of the stove as Dani pulled away from him and sat down. He plated the eggs and placed them on the table as he sat down, "Eat up."

Dani chuckled as she began plating her food, "Lex wants us to come to her New Year's Eve party tonight." She said, taking a bite of sausage.

"Are you feeling up to it?" Adam asked.

Dani sighed and rolled her eyes, "Are you going to ask me that every day of my life from now on?"

"I'm just worried." Adam said, "You got sick so fast. I didn't know what to do."

"Don't you think I was worried? That doesn't mean that I let it run my life." She exclaimed.

Adam sighed and ran his hand through his hair, "I just don't understand how you're so blasé about this."

Dani shook her head, "Honey, I'm not being blasé, I'm rolling with the punches. I'm alive, I'm better, I'm fine. I'm not stupid. If something were really wrong, I wouldn't do nothing. I know how to take care of myself, dear. Just because I hate doctors doesn't mean I wouldn't see one if I had to."

"I know, I know," Adam replied. He did. He knew that she had common sense. She would do something she had to do, even if she didn't want to.

"Good." Dani said, taking a bite of sausage, "So, I'm definitely going to Lex's party. Are you?"

Adam looked at his girlfriend and smiled slightly, "Of course I am."

-(-)-

It was definitely not the kind of party they had been expecting. Knowing Lex, Adam and Dani had been sure there would be loud music, wall to wall dancing, and a ridiculous amount of alcohol. What they walked into was music soft enough that wouldn't irritate the neighbors but loud enough to enjoy, about twenty five or thirty people scattered throughout the entire condo, and an open bar with plenty of non-alcoholic substitutes for the standard New Year's Party fare. It wasn't that neither of them had never consumed alcohol before (they were teenagers after all), and Dani personally thought that there was nothing wrong with lowering the legal drinking age to eighteen, but they were appreciative for the option to not drink. It was going to be a long, cold trip back to the penthouse and it was not something that either of them would have looked forward to if they had been drinking (and, yes, it was illegal…).

A squeal from across the room caught the couple's attention, "Dani! Adam!" Lex exclaimed as she raced over to meet them, "I'm so glad you came! Dani, I know you haven't been feeling well and…"

Dani rolled her eyes and glared at her boyfriend. He, Charlie, and Jesse had felt the need to inform Teresa and her family of Dani's sickness, even though she was on the mend by that time, "I'm fine, Lex. I'm a big girl, I can handle a little flu." As when she was a kid, Dani wasn't quite sure what she was sick with. It was some awful mix of stomach flu, influenza, and a really bad cold but no doctor had ever been able to tell her what exactly it was.

Adam made a noise of protest that Dani could only describe as a mix between a gurgle and a moan. Dani glared at him but he glared right back. He made it clear he wasn't comfortable with her calling it 'a little flu' and she made it clear that she was an _adult goddamit _and, while she appreciated that he took care of her while she was sick, she did _not _appreciate being treated like an invalid. Lex looked back and forth between the two, understanding that they were having a mental fight but not entirely sure why. She didn't know how sick Dani had been, just that she'd been sick. Deciding that it wasn't her place to comment on the matter, she merely said in a low voice, "If you two need to have a lover's spat, feel free to use my bedroom. Just don't use it for anything else."

The couple rounded on her with matching perturbed looks, which she replied to with a simple shrug of her shoulders before saying, "Help yourselves to anything non-alcoholic at the bar." With a smile, she walked away to chat with more of her guests. Neither was put out by her leaving to mingle. It was her party, after all, and she had hostess-ing to do.

With a sigh, Adam took Dani's hand and gently kissed it. It wasn't an act of surrender -he very much believed this conversation wasn't over- but merely an olive branch. He was willing to leave it until later. Dani leaned over and kissed him on the cheek; she agreed. Lacing his fingers with hers, Adam led Dani towards the bar. A familiar head of blonde hair was sitting there, nursing what was probably a Shirley Temple, and looking somewhat downtrodden.

"Why so glum, chum?" Dani asked as she released her hand from her boyfriend's and put and arm over Teresa's shoulders.

"Dani! Adam! I didn't know you were coming!" Teresa replied, reaching over to hug her friends.

"Yeah… Lex didn't manage to get ahold of us regarding this little shindig until early this morning." Dani replied, "We weren't sure if you would be here. We thought you might still be with your mom on Cape Cod." Even though the family reunion had ended ages ago, Elizabeth had decided to stay to take care of her mother, who had become extremely ill during the festivities.

"No. I offered and mom took me up on it for a while but she said I should come home and spend time with people my own age," Teresa chuckled. She was sure her mom had only been half joking when she said it, "I debated even coming. I'm staying at mom's, so I thought I'd just watch the ball drop on my own and… Well, Lex kind of forced me to come."

Adam and Dani exchanged confused looks, "Teresa, you knew we were in town. Why didn't you call us to join you?" Adam asked.

Teresa sighed, "I… I just figured you two would want to spend the holiday together. You know… couple-y… I didn't want to be a third wheel." Dani rolled her eyes, but she was glad that it wasn't because she thought they would be spending it with Leah. Both Leah and Teresa were getting more comfortable with each other, but it was still hard to get them to go out and have a good time together, "It is technically your anniversary, after all."

Again, Dani rolled her eyes and Adam had to agree, "Teresa…" He said, "Next time call and see if we have plans. We honestly weren't going to do anything and we love spending time with you."

Teresa smiled, "Thanks. Want anything?" She indicated the bar.

"Do Lex and Raquel still have any of those Italian Sodas?" Dani asked excited. Teresa nodded and made her way around the bar to procure some. Adam asked for the same.

The presence of Teresa behind the bar seemed to somehow unconsciously excite the room, "Little Lex!" A chipper voice said as a large body planted itself in the seat that Teresa had left unoccupied, "Long time no see!" He said, leaning over the bar and placing a particularly wet, overdramatic kiss on Teresa's forehead.

"Jack…" Teresa replied, wiping her forehead, "Back at'cha…" She said hesitantly. She'd explained it to Dani before. All of Lex's friends were always overly nice to her. She'd gotten used to the jokes and unexpected physical contact a long while ago. They even helped her avoid any unwanted attention if they were able to. That didn't mean that she was entirely comfortable around them when they were feeling touchy-feely, "Are you drunk already? It's only ten o'clock."

Jack scoffed, "Buzzed if anything… Now, I'll have a rum and coke, favorite bartender!"

"Favorite bartender?" Dani asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Psh… yeah! Little Lex here makes the best cocktails ever!" Jack replied happily.

"It's 'Teresa,' Jack." Teresa replied, "I do have my own name, you know." She rolled her eyes lightheartedly. He was probably drunk enough that he had forgotten her name and, thus, when with the next easiest option. It had happened to her before. It was the curse of looking like a clone of her sister.

"Right…" Jack replied as he laid his head on the bar, "So about that rum and coke."

Rolling her eyes, Teresa said, "Coming right up," She made the inebriated man a rum and coke, heavy on the coke. She figured he'd be too drunk to notice. Jack was always the one that people had to watch; a lightweight claiming he could hold his liquor better than he could. It was common to see his friends steal sips from his drink without him noticing in order to keep him from drinking too much. Teresa hoped that he would come to his senses as he got older but for now, she wasn't willing to argue.

"Here you go, tiger," Teresa said, handing Jack the rum and coke as more guests clamored for one of Teresa's 'brilliant' cocktails.

Adam and Dani watched amusedly, "You learn something new every day…" Adam murmured as, for the first time in the months that they'd known her, Teresa looked happy to be the center of attention. Dani nodded, sipping her Italian Soda.

As the night went on, Teresa stayed mostly behind the bar, making drinks for her sister's appropriately aged friends (or cutting them off when they'd had enough, something that no one seemed to argue with, oddly enough) and chatting with them candidly. Honestly, it was like nothing Adam or Dani had ever seen and definitely not for the length of time that she did it. Dani attempted to formulate some sort of plot that would bring this strange outgoing Teresa to the forefront when she wasn't behind a bar.

Dani and Adam remained close to her throughout the majority of the night, wandering away only to dance a few dances before returning to chat with her again. At this point, there was very little attention at the bar, as the midnight hour was coming up. The huge flat-screen television was on, playing the scene in Times Square as they waited for the ball to drop.

As they watched the countdown, Adam behind Dani with his arms around her waist, both couldn't help but think how lucky they were. Neither of them ever believed that they would see each other again, much less rekindle their relationship, after their break up. But both were glad they did. Even if this wasn't how they'd planned on spending their holiday, neither was complaining.

The clock had finally reached the final seconds, "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! Happy New Year!" The whole of the condo screamed. Adam leaned his head forward and caught Dani's lips in the customary New Year's kiss.

Dani smiled under the kiss and was none too pleased when Adam pulled away. He made up for it, however, when he smiled at her and said, "I love you, Dani."

Dani leaned back against his chest, her head in the crook of his neck, and said, "I love you, too, Adam."


	33. At Home with the Conway-Bombay's

**I Can't, I Won't**

**Summary:** Sequel to Life's Full of Little Surprises. She was the girl that he couldn't forget, he was the man she didn't want to forget. He fell for her on a bus, she fell for him in the rain. After two years apart, they are brought back together. But are they willing to let themselves fall in love again?

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing but my OC's. It is very sad, but true.

-(-)-

_**A/N: **_Thanks to _Ealasaid Una, mdgirl18, _and _BrownEyedDreamr_! This is a short one, but I wanted to focus for a second on someone other the Adam and Dani. Plus, I'm finally getting around to something I set up a while ago!

-(-)-

**Minneapolis, Minnesota**

Myrka watched her soon-to-be stepbrother as he slept. It was nearly nine in the morning and he should have been awake already, but –naturally- he wasn't. She smirked with squinted eyes at the ridiculous state Charlie had somehow found himself in during the night. As was typical, his sheets and blankets were wrapped around him like a cocoon, though his arms and legs were somehow sticking out straight. Myrka wondered if it would ever be possible that Charlie would be able to share a bed with another person without stealing all the covers. She doubted it, but who knew?

What made this day different was that Charlie was snoring, something that wasn't typical for him. No… He wasn't just snoring. The noise coming out of his wide-open mouth wasn't snoring. It was more like demonic possession or something along those lines.

As she stared at Charlie in amusement, an unexpected hand rested itself on Myrka's shoulder. She jumped slightly, looking towards the hand. Her father looked at her with a smile on his face as she took a deep breath to calm herself, "Please don't do that again." She said as she tried to lower her heart rate.

"Sorry, baby," He said, "What are you doing?"

"Watching Charlie," She admitted, as if there were nothing weird about that in the slightest, "I think he's got a cold. He's snoring," She added, as Charlie –as if on cue- let out another monster snore.

Gordon raised his eyebrows in alarm, "Wake him up, sweetie. We'll stop by the drugstore on our way back from the skate shop and get him… something." Gordon knew well that whenever Charlie was congested he snored, but he had never heard his stepson make a noise like that and it disconcerted him. He was sure it was nothing to worry about, Charlie was a generally healthy kid, but he'd rather nip whatever it was in the bud than let Charlie suffer in silence (since, of course, he wouldn't tell anyone).

Myrka nodded and walked over to Charlie as her father left to finish getting breakfast ready, "Charlie," Myrka said as she shook him gently, "Charlie wake up." She said again, shaking less gently. He snored again. Rolling her eyes, Myrka grabbed his shoulders and shook has hard as she could, "CHARLES!"

"Gah!" Charlie screamed, "Get off!" He cried as he flailed around. Myrka stepped back and attempted to hold in a laugh. She failed, "What are you laughing at?" He asked as he attempted to compose himself.

"You," She said with a smile, "because you're a dork. Also, you're sick aren't you?" Charlie looked at her suspiciously, which gave her the answer, "Thought so. You've been snoring like a drunken sailor with emphysema." Charlie raised his eyebrow at the description, "NCIS." Myrka explained, "Tony and Ziva. It was clever. Whatever, breakfast is on. We're going to the skate shop to visit Jan and his daughter in an hour."

"Jan has a daughter?" Charlie asked.

Myrka furrowed her eyebrows at him, "Where the balls have you been? Mom and dad have been planning this for a week."

"Did you just say "where the balls"?" Charlie asked, baffled.

"Yes," Myrka said, clearly irritated, as she turned on her heel and walked out of the room.

Charlie sighed. He really should have been paying more attention over the past few days. This cold he was getting was quickly becoming worse and he couldn't find anything that kept him from getting congested all the way through the night. The lack of sleep mixed with plain old illness-brain (as he called it) made him forget a lot. Plus, he was really excited to get back to Boston. He loved his family dearly, but as his return to school drew closer, he couldn't help but think about Teresa almost constantly. Did that make him a love sick puppy? Probably, and he was proud of it.

They'd spoken a few times since he left Boston, but not as much as he would have liked. Both had family obligations (Charlie more so), among other things, and couldn't talk very often. He had, however, heard about her apparent "mad" bartending skills that she put to use at Lex's New Year's party. He smiled at the memory of the conversation. That was definitely something that he would have to see with his own eyes.

Sighing, Charlie pulled himself out of bed and stalked over to the dresser. He rummaged through it for a moment until he found a couple of things that looked somewhat like they could go together. Once he was dressed and hygiene-d (_Is that a word?_ He thought to himself as he put his toothbrush back in the holder _Huh… Well it is now._) he made his way to the kitchen where his family was already tucking into breakfast.

"Morning, sleepyhead," His mother said as she spooned food into Avalon's mouth. The young girl tried to steal the spoon, but Casey held firmly on it, "Are you going to use to spoon to eat, not to play?" Avalon pouted, "If you don't use your spoon right, I will feed you."

Avalon's shoulders drooped, "I'll eat right, mommy," She said, her tone solemn. Charlie couldn't believe how clear she was talking now. It seemed like only yesterday she could barely form words. Coming back after being away so long was a shock to his system. So was the amount of tantrums Avalon was prone to. This seemed to be one of the few times she didn't want to fight her mother on something. But that was just being a toddler, he supposed. His mother, it seemed, was very good at dealing with Avalon's moods. He wondered if it was just her adapting to her daughter or if past experience helped… He wasn't sure how well behaved he'd been in his primitive years, but he hoped he wasn't as bad as his sister.

Casey slowly handed her daughter the spoon. For a while, Avalon did as she was told. However, just as Charlie was tucking into his scrambled eggs, Avalon started smashing her spoon around the inside of her oatmeal bowl, sending the contents flying all over her booster chair and her person. Casey sighed and took the spoon away as gently, yet firmly, as possible, "Okay, you're done."

"NO!" Avalon screeched as her mother removed the table of her booster and lifted her out, "Down!"

"Avalon Lee Conway, I need you to take deep breath and calm down," Casey said as she carried the young girl from the kitchen.

Charlie took another bite of his eggs, mentally telling himself that he was never having children. Well… that was probably a lie. He loved kids, he just didn't know how to deal with them when they got like that. Then again, if he were to ever have kids, he needed someone to do it with. He could see Teresa as a mother. She was kind, loving, and intelligent… _Stop right there! _He told himself. He did not need to start thinking about Teresa as a mother. They were not nearly far enough into their relationship to even fathom having children and he didn't even know how she felt about them.

"So," He said abruptly, trying to take his mind off of the thought of having children with Teresa, "We're apparently going to meet Jan's daughter?"

"That's phrased as a question?" Gordon replied, "You didn't remember?" Charlie shook his head, "Yes, we are. We're all finally in town at the same time and I want you all to meet her. She's the only decent family Jan has left now that Hans is gone and their mother passed."

"Cool," Charlie said, stuffing a strip of bacon into his mouth.

"Bites, Charlie," Myrka said, disgusted, "Take bites."

"Why?" Charlie asked with a smile, causing her to roll her eyes.

-(-)-

Charlie followed his family (minus Julian, who insisted he ride with Charlie) as they drove to Jan's skate shop. He knew that they could see the 'jam session' he and Julian were having as they rode (his mother kept shaking her head and facepalming) but he didn't care. Quality time with his little brother was just the thing he needed to keep him content until he returned to Boston. He made sure that he had quality time with all of his siblings since he didn't see them as often as he wanted. They seemed to enjoy it and he certainly did, so it was a win-win situation.

They pulled into the parking lot just as the song on the radio (Charlie wasn't sure what it was, but it had a good beat and Julian seemed to know it) reached the climax of music and beat. Charlie parked but the two remained in the car, flailing and air drumming as their family exited the other car and stared at them in horrified amusement. Once the song was over, Charlie calmly turned off the car and exited, Julian following in suit.

Myrka narrowed her eyes at them, "I don't know you people." She said as she quickly made her way towards the door, as if afraid to be seen in public with them.

"Oh, yes you do! You LURVE us!" Charlie cried loudly, wrapping his arms around his sister's waist and spinning her around.

"CHARLIE!" She screamed, "Put me down!"

Charlie ignored her until the spinning, mixed –he was sure- with congestion-induced vertigo, made him too dizzy to hold onto her. He dropped her and had to lean against the wall of the shop, "Are you okay?" Casey asked.

"Is _he _okay?" Myrka asked in indignation. Charlie wasn't sure if it was real or not.

"I'm fine," Charlie said, snuffling loudly, trying to unblock his nose.

His family looked at him with shock and Myrka let out a quiet, "Ew…" as his mother pulled tissues out of her purse. Charlie took them without a word, blew his nose into them as hard as he could, and followed his family into the shop.

"Jan!" Gordon called out, "Liesel!"

"Gordon!" Jan's voice called back as the elderly man appeared from the back, "And the whole family! This is a surprise." He greeted them all as he hugged them individually, "And Charlie," He said as he hugged him, "It's good to see you more than once before you go back to Boston."

"Good to see you too, Jan," Charlie said, "Sorry I haven't been around a lot since I got back,"

"Ah, no worries," Jan said, "You are young. You have things to do. Liesel!" He called towards the back, adding hurried German that Charlie didn't even attempt to translate, despite the fact he'd been taking a German language course. He has passed it with –he was proud to say- the highest grade in his class (which his professor would deny, along with "if you don't at least minor in German, you're dead to me," ever having told him) but he was pretty sure whatever Jan was saying was too advanced and fast for him to attempt. Maybe after the Intermediate German class he'd signed up for next semester, he'd give chatting with Jan in German a try.

A feminine voice replied as a tall, blonde woman about thirty five years old emerged into the room, "Gordon!" She said, her accent clearly American, "It's so good to see you again. It's been years."

"Feels like a lifetime," Gordon replied, hugging Liesel.

"And who are you?" She asked the rest of the family, pure curiosity lacing her tone.

"Liesel, this is my family. I told you about them when we talked on the phone, remember?" Gordon said. Liesel nodded in excited confirmation, "My fiancée, Casey," Casey reached out and the two women shook hands, exchanging pleasantries, "My children, Myrka and Julian," They waved, "And Casey's children, Charlie and Avalon," It wasn't lost on anyone how unsure Gordon was in regards how to introduce Charlie and Avalon, so he went with the safest bet though he was clearly uncomfortable with how it sounded coming out of his mouth.

Charlie raised his eyebrow and said, "Whatever you say, dad." Gordon shot him a shocked look, but Charlie just shrugged. It was all the confirmation Gordon needed and he smiled.

Turning back to Liesel, he said, "Like I said, my family." Liesel nodded knowingly and ushered the family into the back, where she and Jan were just sitting down to Jan's famous hasenpfeffer and eggs.


End file.
